/ 


ADVENTURE  SPORT 
AND  TRAVEL  ON  THE 
TIBETAN  STEPPES 


FERGUSSON 


GIFT  OF 


#tv^ 


ADVENTURE    SPORT    AND    TRAVEL 
ON    THE    TIBETAN    STEPPES 


,^,^?Ayny  Jl&i^^ly  -.^^^^^M^Ke^- 


ADVENTURE 
SPORT  AND  TRAVEL 


ON     THE 


TIBETAN   STEPPES 


W.   N.   FERGUSSON 

F.R.G.S. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  FROM  PHOTOGRAPHS  BY  THE  AUTHOR- 
AND    THE   LATE   LIEUT.    BROOKE,   AND    TIVO   MAPS 


NEW  YORK 

CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

191 1 


'K 


C'^f 


TO   THE 

(Jttemori? 

OF 

J.      WESTON       BROOKE,      E.R.G.S. 

FENAY    HALL,   IIUDDERSFIELD,   ENG., 

THIS   JOURNEY    IS   FIRST 

RECORDED. 


'5141 i 


PREFATORY. 


In  offering  this  book  to  the  piibhc  I  must  first  explain  its 
origin,  and  my  own  part  in  what  is  mainly  an  account  of 
two  journeys  taken  through  China  and  Tibet  b}'  the  late 
Lieutenant  Brooke,  F.R.G.S. 

Mr.  Brooke  started  on  his  first  journey  from  Shanghai 
on  August  I,  1906,  and  after  crossing  Tibet,  returned  to 
Shanghai  in  October,  1907. 

He  left  Shanghai  on  his  second  journey  in  December,  1907, 
and  travelled  in  Western  Sechuan  and  Eastern  Tibet  until 
December  24,  1908,  when  he  was  cruelly  murdered  in  the 
Independent  Lolo  Land. 

On  the  second  of  these  two  expeditions  Lieutenant  Brooke 
Wci3  accompanied  b}'  Mr.  C.  H.  Meares  ;  and  when  that  journe}^ 
came  to  its  untimely  end,  Mr.  Meares  returned  to  England 
and  wrote  certain  articles  in  the  Home  Press  on  the  country 
through  which  they  had  travelled.  These  created  consider- 
able interest,  and  Mr.  Meares  was  urged  to  make  of 
his  own  and  his  friend's  experiences  some  more  permanent 
record.  But  he  had  already  been  enhsted  by  Captain  Scott 
for  the  Antarctic  Expedition,  and  must  leave  England  early 
in  the  present  year  for  Siberia,  there  to  purchase  dogs  and 
ponies  for  that  enterprise  ;  and  the  task  which  should  have 
been  his  has  perforce  fallen  to  me.  Mr.  Brooke's  parents 
have  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal  their  son's  diary  and  photo- 
graphs taken  on  his  journeys  ;  and  of  these  and  mv  own 
and  Mv.  Meares's  observations  of  a  picturesque  count r}'  and 


Prefatory. 


a  singular  people,  never  visited  by  white  men  before,  I  hope 
to  make  something  which  shall  commemorate  the  real  be- 
getter of  this  volume,  and  interest  the  general  reader  to 
whom  adventure,  sport,  and  travel  in  remote  lands  are  of 
concern. 

John  Weston  Brooke  was  born  at  Fenay  Hall,  near 
Huddersfield,  in  Yorkshire,  in  July,  1880,  and  went  to  school 
at  Repton.  In  1898  he  joined  his  county  Yeomanry,  the 
Yorkshire  Dragoons,  and  served  with  them  in  the  Boer  War. 
An  act  of  gallantry  in  the  field  won  him  a  commission  in  the 
Regular  Army,  and  in  November,  1900,  he  returned  to  Eng- 
land and  joined  the  7th  Hussars  at  Aldershot.  But  the 
instinct  of  travel  was  in  his  blood,  and  in  1902  he  resigned 
with  the  idea  of  exploration  in  that  Dark  Continent  which 
has  drawn,  and  yet  draws,  so  heavily  on  the  adventurous. 
An  introduction  to  Major  Burnham,  the  famous  American 
Scout,  then  a  Director  of  the  East  African  Syndicate, 
turned  his  thoughts  in  that  direction,  and  in  April, 
1903,  Mr.  Brooke  left  England  for  East  Africa,  and  was  sent 
off  promptly  after  his  arrival  on  an  exploring  expedition 
with  Messrs.  BHck,  Brittlebank,  and  Brown.  "  The  Four 
B.'s,"  as  the  party  was  called,  travelled  from  Nairobi  via 
Mount  Elgon  northwards  to  the  western  shores  of  Lake 
Rudolph,  experiencing  plenty  of  privations  from  want  of 
water,  and  of  danger  from  encounters  with  the  natives. 

On  January  25,  1904,  a  report  reached  England  tliat  the 
expedition  had  been  wiped  out  ;  but  a  week  later  this  was 
contradicted,  and  proved  to  be  the  concoction  of  a  runaway 
porter.  Mr.  Brooke  returned  to  England  the  following  April 
and  apphed  himself  to  the  study  of  scientific  subjects,  the 
more  fully  to  fit  himself  for  the  life  of  an  explorer.  He 
received  his  diploma  for  survey  work  from  the  Royal 
Geographical  Society,  and  was  made  a  Fellow  of  the  Society. 

In   ^March,    1906,    Mr.    Brooke   sailed   for   India,    with   the 


Prefatory 


object  of  organising  an  expedition  into  Tibet  to  investigate 
the  much  debated  question  of  the  relation  of  the  Sampo 
and  Brahmaputra  Rivers.  This  intention,  so  far  as  India 
was  concerned,  was  frustrated  by  the  Indian  Government, 
in  view  of  the  Treaty  just  then  signed  with  Russia,  by  which 
no  stranger  should  be  allowed  to  enter  Tibet  from  India. 
Nothing  daunted,  he  tried  to  shp  across  over  the  Assam  border 
witli  only  two  servants  ;  but  the  frontier  officer,  being  warned 
of  his  intention,  was  on  the  look  out  and  intercepted  him. 

Mr.  Brooke  now  resolved  to  enter  Tibet  from  the  north, 
and  left  Calcutta  for  Shanghai  in  June,  1906,  travelling 
thence  via  Hankow,  Singan,  Pingliang.  Lanchow,  to  Siningfu. 
The  journey  was  accomphshed  in  three  months,  and  in  his 
journal  Mr.  Brooke  speaks  with  gratitude  of  the  missionaries, 
who  "treated"  him  "with  the  greatest  kindness  and  hos- 
pitality," and  are  "  the  true  friends  of  travellers  in  that 
country."  At  Siningfu  he  stayed  for  about  a  month,  gathering 
information  and  collecting  ponies,  yaks,  and  general 
supplies.  In  October,  1906,  the  Dalai  Lama  arrived  from 
Urgu,  whither  he  had  fled  when  Sir  Frank  Younghusband's 
Mission  entered  Lhasa  three  years  before.  Mr.  Ridley, 
of  the  China  Inland  Mission,  and  Mr.  Brooke  were  lucky 
enough  to  obtain  an  audience  of  the  Dalai  Lama,  and  were 
the  first  Englishmen  to  see  him. 

Everything  was  now  ready  for  the  second  attempt  to  reach 
the  Brahmaputra,  and  :\Ir.  Brooke  entered  Tibet  by  the 
Kokomer,  travelling  to  the  north  of  that  lake  to  Baranr 
Tsaidan,  and  southward  by  the  Tangla  Pass.  The  journey 
was  an  adventurous  one.  especially  so  for  a  man  ignorant 
of  the  language,  and  whose  servants  were— and  proved— 
worse  than  useless.  The  party  was  several  times  in  danger 
from  the  Goluk  robbers,  and  on  one  occasion,  when  riding 
unarmed,  Mr.  Brooke  had  a  hand-to-hand  fight  with  one 
of  these  ruffians. 


Prefator)' 


On  arriving  at  Magehulla,  a  place  about  200  miles  north 
of  his  objective,  he  was  surrounded  b\-  hordes  of  Tibetans, 
and  although  he  held  many  interviews  of  a  friendly  character 
with  Lamas,  they  were  quite  firm  in  assuring  him  that  he 
might  not  travel  south  in  that  direction.  As  soon  as  he  packed 
his  camels  the  soldiers  unpacked  them,  and,  as  he  was  one 
against  hundreds,  he  had  eventually,  to  his  great  disgust, 
to  retrace  his  steps  and  turn  again  northwards.  This  was 
on  April  30,  1907.  The  party  was  now  reduced  to  two  men 
and  a  few  half  starved  camels,  and  with  these  he  joined  a 
Mongolian  chief,  with  whom  he  struck  up  a  friendship.  They 
travelled  together  for  some  weeks,  and  the  chief  invited 
Mr.  Brooke  to  go  home  with  him,  wh.ere  he  was  given 
some  good  shooting,  and  secured  some  valuable  sporting 
trophies. 

At  Tarmor  he  just  missed  meeting  Dr.  Stein,  the  famous 
explorer,  who  seems  to  have  been  in  the  village  on  the  same 
day,  but  neither  was  aware  of  the  other's  presence. 

Mr.  Brooke  had  previously  met  Dr.  Taffel,  who  had  ex- 
perienced many  hairbreadth  escapes  among  the  Goloks,  and 
was  then  himself  attired  as  a  robber,  having  been  stripped 
of  all  his  possessions. 

On  July  I  Mr.  Brooke  again  arrived  at  the  house  of  his 
good  missionary  friends,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ridley,  at  Siningfu, 
where  he  stayed  for  a  few  days.  Then,  leaving  for  Shanghai, 
he  varied  his  route  by  going  down  the  Yangtze  River,  and 
thence  made  a  trip  to  Japan  and  Manchuria. 

On  his  return  to  China,  in  November,  1907,  he  met,  at 
Tientsin,  Mr.  C.  H.  Meares,  and  at  once  recognised  in  him 
a  kindred  spirit.  He  invited  Mr.  Meares  to  join  him  on  his 
next  journey,  an  expedition  in  Western  China,  the  result  of 
a  conversation  I  had  held  with  him  when  we  met  at  Ichang 
some  months  before.  I  had  spoken  of  the  hitherto  almost 
unknown   tribes  who   dwell   in  the  west  of  the  province  of 


Prefatory. 

Zechwar,  and  among  whom  I  had  myself  travelled  for  some  years, 
distributing  books  for  tlie  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
An  article  of  mine  about  these  people,  with  a  map  of  their 
country,  had  appeared  in  the  Ro\'al  Geographical  Society's 
Journal  for  December,  1908,  being  a  summary  of  journeys 
taken  between  the  years  1903  and  1907.  But  very  much 
still  remained  to  be  learned,  and  Mr.  Brooke  suggested  that 
if    he    should    decide    to    go    into    that    province,    I    should 


CHIEF   OF    THE   CARAVAN    WITH     WHOM     MR.    BROOKE    MADE 
FRIENDS   ON    HIS    RETURN. 

introduce   him   to   those   chiefs   with   whom    I    had    already 
become  friends. 

This  expedition  was  subsequently  carried  out  in  Mr. 
Meares's  company  ;  and  their  route  coinciding  with  a  journey 
which  I  had  previously  planned,  and  not  interfering  with 
my  own  work,  we  travelled  for  a  great  part  of  the  time  to- 
gether. In  Chapters  I-V  the  reader  has  what  story  I  can 
make  for  him  out  of  ^Ir.  Brooke's  diary,  often  in  his  own 
words,  illustrating  in  detail  the  incidents  and  experiences  of 


Prefatory. 


the  itinerary  which  I  have  faintly  outhned  above.  It  was 
later  at  Hankow  that  he  and  IMr.  :Meare5  made  actual 
commencement  of  their  main  journey.  After  Chentu  (in 
Chapter  V),  where  I  joined  them,  I  have  been  able  generally  to 
write  of  experiences  which  I  shared. 

As  I  write,  I  recall  the  joy  which  Mr.  Brooke  evinced  in 
natural  beauty,  whether  seen  in  the  lofty  mountain,  with  its 
snow-capped  peaks  towering  on  high  until  lost  in  a  cloud  of 
mist ;  or  in  the  rushing  stream  that  swept  madly  on,  in  haste 
to  mingle  its  clear  blue  waters  with  the  muddy  Yangtze  and 
so  be  carried  to  the  ocean  ;  the  grassy  plateau  and  the  virgin 
forest,  with  their  strange,  exotic,  sometimes  unknown  animals 
and  birds— all  held  for  him  a  rare  and  profound  charm.  He 
would  revel  in  the  beds  of  wild  flowers  which  grew  so  pro- 
fusely and  so  luxuriously  bloomed,  carpeting  the  entire  moun- 
tain-side well-nigh  to  the  snow  line.  I  have  seen  him  almost 
in  rapture  as  he  chased  over  these  beds,  12,000  to  16,000  feet 
above  sea-level,  seeking  out  the  various  coloured  poppies  that 
bloom  at  this  altitude.  There  we  found  the  red,  the  yellow, 
the  blue,  the  purple  and  mauve  poppies  of  magical  beauty 
in  that  setting,  though  only  two  of  them  have  proved  new 
to  the  botanist.  .  .  .  Yet  a  little  and  it  was  my  lot 
to  go  alone  into  the  Lolo  country  and  identify  the  bruised 
and  mangled  body  of  my  friend,  then  recovered  from  the 
Lolos  by  the  Chinese  officials  ;  and  beside  him  the  body  of 
my  adopted  Chinese  boy,  who  had  gone  with  j\Ir.  Brooke 
as  his  interpreter,  and  who  had  remained  faithful  to  the  end. 
But  it  is  time  to  begin  Mr.  Brooke's  narrative  from 
the  diary  which  he  penned  while  he  was  alive  and  well,  the 
picture  of  courage,  high  heart  and  endeavour. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I. 

On   the  TlliETAN    STEI'I'ES .  I 

CHAPTER  II. 
Procuring  the  Carav.an 8 

CHAPTER  III. 
Across  the  Tsaidam  and  on  to  Lhasa 21 

CHAPTER  IV. 

How  he  was  Turned  Back 41 

CHAPTER  \'. 

Hankow  to  Chentu         ....  ...  54 

CHAPTER  VL 
Chentu  to  Wenchuan 7- 

CHAPTER  \II. 
Sport  in  Wassu 89 

CHAPTER  Mil. 
Hunting  the  Panyanc 106 

CHAPTER  I.\. 
HuNTiNi;  the  Serow 116 

CHAPTER  .\. 
Haunts  ok  the  Budorcas        .         .  ....         125 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Forward  to  Somo i44 

xiii 


PAGE 
CHAPTER  XII. 

The  Journey  to  Chosschia 165 

CHAPTER  XIII. 
Through  the  Unexplored  (;rasslani) 1S4 


CHAPTER  XI\' 
N  THE  Land  of  the  Cattle  Thieves    . 


193 


CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Traffic  of  the  Great  North  Road      ....         206 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
Up  the  Tunc,  River 234 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Two  Gold  .Streams 234 

CHAPTER  XVm. 
Mantze  Religion  and  Customs 247 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  C.wes  of  West  China 262 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Cheating  to  Ningyuenfu 275 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Indepen'dent  Lololand 293 

CHAPTER  XXII. 
Religion  and  Custo.ms  of  the  Lolos 315 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Rescue  of  the  Survivors  and  Burial  of  the  Murdered 
Explorer  and  his  Interpreter 328 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


ey 


The  Late  Lieutenant  J.  W.  Brooke         .... 
Chief  of  the  Caravan  with  whom  Mr.  Broolce  made  friends 

Return     ......... 

Bazaar  at  Kumljum       ....... 

Wife  of  the  Man  from  whom  Mr,  Brooke  bought  the  Yak 
Children  of  the  Man  from  whom  Mr.  Brooke  bought  the  Yak 
Yak  Caravan  on  March  ...... 

Women  Weaving  Tibetan  Cloth    ..... 

Mr.  Brooke  with  the  Chinese  Caravan    .... 

The  Naichi  Guide  Waiting  for  his  Kettle  to  Boil     . 
Kansu  Girls  near  Sining        ...... 

C.  H.  Meares  as  he  left  Hankow,  Jan.  i,  1908 

Ichang,  where  Mr.  Meares  Hired  the  Boat  for  the  River  Journ 

Hauling  the  Boat  over  a  Rocky  Reach  . 

Duck  Farmer  Herding  his  Ducklings     . 

The  Old  Fort  four  miles  west  of  Chungking    . 

.\  Chinese  Peasant  Girl  Leading  a  Buffalo  to  Graze 

A  Mantze  Castle  and  Tower  ;  Kiakos  (on  right)  for  Drying  Corn 

Conveying  Pigs  to  the  Capital        ..... 

On  the  Yangtze  above  the  Ichang  Gorge 

Repairing  the  Wenchuan  Suspension  Bridge  . 

Chentu  to  Wenchuan— where  we  left  the  Min  and  entered  the 

So  Tussu,  his  Son,  and  Secretary  ..... 

Near  So  Tussu's  Castle  ;    Mountain  at  end  of  Valley  sixty 

distant      ......... 

Prince  So  (in  centre),  Mr.  Meares  and  Mr.  Brooke . 
The  Hunters  Scanning  the  Mountain  Side  for  Goral 
Our  Camp  at  Chienliangshan  ..... 

Mr.  Brooke  and  his  first  Serow      ..... 

The  Goral  Shot  by  the  Author  at  i,coo  yards . 

The  intrepid  Ho,  Mr.  Brooke's  Cook,  with  two  Head  Coolies 

Dinner  in  Camp         ....... 

Takin  Shot  by  Mr.  Meares    ...... 

Hunting  the  Takin  ;  a  Bit  of  the  Road  .... 

The  Interpreter  Kao     ....... 

Colonel  Gou  and  his  Family  ...... 

Tibetan  Players  in  Comedy  ...... 

Tibetan  Players  in  Tragedy  ...... 

The  Li  Fair— Chinese  Mandarin     ..... 


PAGE 

Frontispiece 
on  his 


Gorge 
mile 


lavmg 


127 
138 
141 
146 
148 

IS2 


PAGE 

Damba  Castle 167 

The  Bridge  of  Mami,  which  they  tore  down  to  keep  Mrs.  Bishop 

(Miss  Isabella  Bird)  from  Crossing      ......  171 

Some  Poppies  near  the  Snow-Line          .          .          .          .          .          .  175 

Ula  and  a  Grass-land  Tribesman  .          .          .          .          .          .          .  179 

A  Bower  of  White  Roses  near  Chosschia  Castle— Mr.  Brooke  feed- 
ing Dog ;  Interpreter  on  left       .          .          .          .          .          .          .  187 

The  Castle  and  Town  of  Damtung,  where  the  Author  healed  the 

Chief 195 

The  Guard  on  the  Roof— Tibetan  Mastiff        .....  199 

Camp  of  the  Prince's  Brother — Yak  in  foreground  ....  202 

Tibetan  Nurse-maid  and  Baby        .......  204 

Black  River  Blacksmith  and  his  Wife     ......  207 

Encamped  for  Dinner — Author  on  left,  Mr.  Brooke  on  right      .          .  213 

Chinese  Tea-Coolie  carrying  370  lbs.  of  Tea   .          .          .          .          .  215 

Hot-spring  near  Yukoh — and  Mixed  Bathing.          ....  217 

Capital  of  Yukoh .          .          .          .          .          .          .          •          •          •  219 

Down  the  Tachien-lu  River  ........  225 

Some  of  the  Peaks  of  the  Daba  Range  ......  229 

Herb-Gatherers  of  Lianghokon      .          .          .          .          .          .          .  231 

A  Monastery  in  Bati  on  the  Great  Gold  River          ....  235 

Group  of  Tribesmen  in  the  Tachin  \^alley        .....  237 

A  Chinese  Mandarin     .........  239 

The  Pica  Nin  of  Iso — Cross  between  Yak  and  Cow.          .          .          .  243 

Sunning  Rice  on  the  Chentu  Plain.          .          .          .          .          .          .  251 

A  Happy  Family.          .........  259 

The  Hong  Chiao  Pass  .........  265 

Terra-Cotta  Pigmies     .          .          .          .          .          .          ■          ■          •  271 

Tibetan  Interpreter  coming  out  of  the  Cave  where  the  Terra-Cotta 

Pigmies  were  obtained        .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .  273 

Raft   on   the   Ya    River   on    which    Mr.    Brooke   and    Mr.    Meares 

Journeyed          ..........  276 

Bringing  Raw  Tea  to  be  Packed  at  Yachow     .....  279 

Carrying  Tea  over  the  Dahsianglin  Pass  for  Tibetan  Trade  ;  Average 

Weight  carried  200  to  400  lbs.  per  head        .....  282 

Bamboo  Rafts  on  the  Ya  River      .          .          .          .          .          .          .  285 

Lolo  Caves  along  the  Ya  and  Tung  Rivers      .....  287 

Hawking  Parrots  from  the  Ningyuenfu  A^alley  to  Chentu  ;   Photo- 
graph taken  on  Vashinglin,  10,000  feet  above  Sea-Level         .          .  291 
Lolo  Chiefs  Hostages  .........  294 

White-Blood  Lolos 297 

Two  Lolo  Chiefs,  Hostages  at  Yuehhsi  Ting  .....  301 

Looking  over  the  Wall  of  Ningyuenfu  ;   showing  Route  followed  by 

Mr.  Brooke       ..........  303 

Town  of  Yueh-itse-Ting  ;   the  Hills  across  the  River  on  the  Left  of 

the  Picture  arc  in  the  Lolo  Country    ......  307 

Lolo  Girls,  aged  about  18      .                              .          .          .                    .  311 

A  Lolo  Musician.          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .  317 

'Che  Author  in  Chinese  Dress         .......  335 

Index          ...........  339 


CHAPTER  I. 

On  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

"  After  my  plans  for  entering  Tibet  from  India  had  been 
successfully  frustrated  by  the  Indian  Government,"  writes 
Mr.  Brooke,  "  I  considered  it  best  to  try  and  get  the  support 
of  the  Chinese  Government  and,  if  possible,  that  of  the  Dalai 
Lama,  and  so  enter  Tibet  from  the  north.  After  a  most 
uninteresting  tramp  across  China  I  reached  Sining,  a  large 
town  in  the  west  of  Kansu  Province.  Here  I  heard  that  the 
Dalai  Lama  was  coming  south  from  Urga  and  was  to  stay  in 
a  monastery  close  to  Sining.  Mr.  and  ]\Irs.  Ridley,  the  mis- 
sionaries connected  with  the  China  Inland  Mission,  insisted 
on  my  making  their  home  my  own,  and  I  appreciated  a  rest 
with  these  very  pleasant  people  after  a  lonely  tramp  of  three 
months  across  China. 

"The  monastery  of  Tassu  or  Kumbum — the  first  name  is 
Chinese,  the  second  Tibetan — where  the  Dalai  Lama  was 
to  stay  for  some  time,  had  been  well  cleaned  for  the  occasion, 
before  the  arrival  of  this  great  potentate.  The  dust  of  ages 
had  been  swept  away,  and  the  huge  golden  idols  gleamed 
with  their  varied  and  fiendish  expressions.  Incense  was 
kept  continually  burning  in  great  vases  in  front  of  each. 
The  massive  doors  of  the  building  were  open,  and  the  wor- 
shippers kept  coming  and  going,  prostrating  themselves  on  the 
polished  boards  outside,  incessantly  muttering  their  prayers. 

"The  palace  to  be  occupied  by  the  Dalai  Lama  was  a  long, 
low  building,  built  on  the  side  of  a  steep  hill,  which  overlooks 
the  whole  monastery  of  Tassu.  The  golden  roofs  of  the 
(11243)  I  B 


-  .SpC'Ft  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

temples  stood  out  dazzling  in  the  sun,  and  long-robed  priests 
ran  hither  and  thither  from  one  temple  to  another,  while 
the  devout  worshippers  wandered  about  with  bowed  heads, 
counting  their  beads  and  muttering  their  prayers. 

"As  we  were  at  the  monastery  three  days  before  the  Dalai 
Lama  arrived,  we  were  at  Uberty  to  go  almost  anywhere 
we  liked.  We  visited  the  courtyard  where  the  Dalai  Lama 
Was  to  be  entertained.  His  bedroom,  which  was  very  small, 
was  papered  with  a  typically  Enghsh  rose  wall-paper ;  a 
large  bed  took  up  most  of  the  room,  and  was  heavily  draped 
with  bright  yellow  silk  curtains  embroidered  in  gold,  and 
a  counterpane  to  match. 

"Two  priests  were  on  guard,  who  would  on  no  account  allow 
us  to  go  into  the  room,  and  were  very  angry  with  the  guards 
outside  for  letting  us  come  into  the  courtyard  at  all. 

"On  October  25,  1906,  Mr.  Ridley  and  I  rode  out  of  Sming 
to  see  the  Dalai  Lama  arrive.  The  roads  were  lined  with 
the  grotesque  Chinese  soldiers,  armed  with  their  very  ancient 
guns,  wearing  their  straw  hats  and  pink  coats  made  of  cotton 
cloth,  which  hung  on  them  like  sacks.  The  Chinese  on- 
lookers had  gathered,  partly  because  they  had  nothing  else 
to  do,  and  partly  because  a  Chinaman  must  see  everything 
that  is  going  on  ;  but  no  one  was  over-pleased  with  their 
guest,  whom  they  had  to  supply  with  forced  hospitahty. 
In  fact,  for  months  past,  the  Mandarin  of  Sining  had  been 
collecting  pots  and  pans,  and  even  tables,  from  the  cottages 
of  the  poor  to  furnish  his  lordship's  apartments. 

"As  is  the  case  with  most  functions  of  this  kind,  we  waited 
for  a  long  time  for  any  sign  of  the  Dalai  Lama  and  his  suite. 
At  last,  in  the  far  distance,  we  heard  the  shrieking  of  the 
Chinese  band,  and  then,  as  the  diabolical  noise  came  closer, 
amidst  a  great  cloud  of  dust,  some  five  or  six  Chinamen  came 
up,  shuffling  along  in  a  gait  which  was  neither  a  walk  nor 
a  run.     They  were  dressed  as  they  liked,  played  as  they  hked. 


On  the  Tibetan  Stepper 


and  shuffled  as  they  hked,  for  it  could  not  be  called  march- 
ing. Next  came  the  standard-bearers,  in  the  same  disorder, 
and  these  were  in  considerable  danger  of  being  ran  down 
by  the  horsemen  behind  them.  They  carried  long  poles 
with  red  flags,  and  all  manner  of  curiously-designed  spears 
and  tridents,  which  one  may  see  outside  any  Chinese  Yamen, 
and  which  are  emblems  of  authority  and  justice.  Next 
came  the  mounted  Tibetans,  in  wonderful  long  yellow  coats 
and  curious  hats  made  of  gilded  wood,  riding  rough,  high- 
spirited  ponies,  which  did  not  lend  dignity  to  the  spectacle. 
Suddenly  a  distinguished-looking  Tibetan  galloped  out  of 
the  crowd  and  shouted  to  the  onlookers  to  'koutoii,'  i.e.,  fall 
prostrate  on  the  ground  in  honour  and  reverence  before  his 
lordship.  We  dismounted  from  our  ponies  but  refused  to 
do  more,  so  he  left  us  to  harangue  the  Chinese,  who  were 
quite  indifferent  and  only  laughed  and  said  rude  things,  as 
our  EngHsli  crowd  sometimes  does  to  our  respected  Metro- 
politan Police,  who  have  learned,  however,  to  take  it  better 
than  did  our  friend  this  distinguished-looking  Tibetan.  There 
was  more  to  see  now,  for  a  crowd  of  horsemen  drew  near, 
surrounding  a  large  yellow  cloth-covered  chair,  which  was 
carried  by  four  horses  led  by  four  mounted  Tibetans,  two 
on  each  side,  so  that  we  only  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  occupant 
for  one  second.  We  followed  with  the  crowd  until  we  reached 
a  large  camp  which  was  prepared  for  him  outside  of  the 
monastery  of  Kumbum.  Here  we  found  hundreds  of  tents, 
all  pitched  in  a  square,  with  one,  a  Mongol  tent  of  rich  yellow 
cloth,  surrounded  by  a  wall  of  the  same  material,  where  the 
Dalai  Lama  was  to  spend  the  night. 

"Outside  the  square  were  crowds  of  many  nationalities 
from  different  parts  of  Asia,  Mongol  Princes  witli  gaily-attired 
camels,  bringing  presents  from  the  north  ;  wild-looking 
Tibetans  with  matted  hair  hanging  down  their  backs,  riding 
equally  wild-looking  ponies,  driving  unwieldy  yaks,  thin  from 
(11243)  3  B  2 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


long  travelling,  perhaps  from  Lhasa  or  unknown  regions 
in  Southern  Tibet ;  Chinese  in  gorgeous  coloured  silks,  and 
muleteers  with  their  galled  mules. 

"Mr.  Ridley  and  I  donned  our  smartest  clothes  of  Chinese 
silk  for  the  occasion.  j\line  was  as  complicated  to  put  on 
as  a  hussar's  full-dress  uniform  is  to  a  newly-joined  subaltern, 
but  no  less  smart.  It  consisted  of  four  coats,  with  four 
different  coloured  silks  and  patterns,  each  being  cut  away 
a  little  more  than  the  one  beneath  it,  so  that  a  portion  of 


BAZAAR   AT    KUMBUM. 


each  showed  in  front,  dark  red  trousers  and  yellow  leggings, 
which  came  half  way  up  the  leg,  black  boots  which 
were  most  troublesome  to  walk  in;  a  large  black  hat 
with  turned-up  brim  and  red  tassels  completed  the  costume. 
A  pigtail  is  considered  unnecessary  by  the  Tibetan. 

"We  intended  calhng  on  the  Dalai  Lama  at  once,  but  were 
told  that  he  could  not  see  us  at  present,  stating  his  willing- 
ness to  receive  us  in  a  few  days.  We  climbed  up  to  a  little  tower 
overlooking  the   camp,    and  had  taken   a  few  photographs, 

4 


On  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


when  a  fanatical  Tibetan  knocked  my  camera  out    of    m\- 
hand  and  assaulted  Mr.  Ridley  in  the  act  of  focussing  ! 

"Two  days  after  this  we  went  up  to  the  monastery  and 
were  granted  an  audience.  After  waiting  a  few  minutes, 
sitting  on  little  silk  cushions  in  the  courtyard,  we  were  brought 
up  a  narrow  staircase  to  a  small  room,  where  all  sorts  of 
instructions  were  given  us  in  a  whisper.  Our  present,  which 
consisted  of  a  fur  coat,  was  taken  in,  and  we  followed  ;  we 
bowed  as  we  entered  the  door  and  again  when  we  approached 
the  Dalai  Lama.  We  then  placed  the  light  blue  scarf  or 
kata  (always  presented  on  such  occasions  in  Tibet)  into 
his  lordship's  hands,  and  he  presented  us  with  another. 
He  gave  me  a  small  image  of  Bhudda.  Mr.  Ridley  received 
a  bundle  of  joss-sticks  and  a  roll  of  Lhasa  cloth.  The  Dalai 
Lama  asked  if  we  had  come  far,  and  while  Mr.  Ridley  ex- 
plained who  we  were,  I  had  an  opportunity  to  look  round.  The 
room  was  about  thirty  feet  long  by  fifteen  feet  wide,  and  the 
walls  were  draped  with  beautifully  worked  embroideries, 
representing  Bhudda  and  various  deities.  The  room  was 
well  warmed,  and  a  mysterious  scent  of  incense  pervaded 
the  atmosphere.  The  Dalai  Lama  sat  in  front  of  us,  cross- 
legged,  on  silk  cushions  which  were  placed  on  a  table  about 
four  feet  high,  so  that  his  feet  were  on  a  level  with  our  faces 
as  we  talked  with  him.  His  face  did  not  show  the  slightest 
trace  of  expression  ;  he  greeted  us  with  a  slight  forward 
movement  of  his  body,  but  nothing  like  a  smile  ever  ap- 
proached his  face  as  we  conversed. 

"Dr.  Sven  Hedin  says  that  he  had  never  seen  such  a  gentle, 
pleasant  face  as  that  of  the  Tashi  Lama,  and  I  can  say  I  have 
never  seen  such  a  hard,  expressionless  face  as  that  of  the 
Dalai  Lama.  One  could  not  help  thinking  that  he  must 
have  trained  his  features  to  resemble  the  unsympathetic 
emptiness  of  the  brazen  images  of  the  country.  He  asked 
if  I  had  come  from  the  other  side  of  the  world,  and  if  the 

5 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

English  king  had  sent  me  to  see  him.  Mr.  Ridley  told  him 
that  the  Enghsh  were  a  kind  people,  and  that  he  was  sure 
that  if  he  would  come  to  India  to  meet  them  and  learn  to 
know  tliem,  he  would  not  mind  their  coming  to  his  country. 
After  about  half-an-hour's  talk,  which  was  mostly  on  our 
side,  I  asked  if  I  might  photograph  him,  but  he  refused.  With 
a  low  bow  we  backed  out  of  his  presence  ;  as  we  backed  his 
features  relaxed  into  a  faint  smile,  a  great  rehef  after  our 
grave  interview. 

"So  ended  our  audience  with  the  Dalai  Lama,  his  first,  I 
believe,  with  an  Enghshman."  ]Mr.  Brooke's  notes  and 
diary  carry  on  the  narrative  of  his  experiences  after  leaving 
the  Lama's  presence.  But,  for  clearness'  sake,  it  may  be  well 
briefly  to  indicate  what  these  were,  leaving  a  detailed  story 
to  other  chapters. 

From  Kumbum  Mr.  Brooke  went  to  Tankar,  a  small  city 
some  thirty  miles  to  the  north,  where  he  purchased  yaks 
for  the  transportation  of  his  party  and  their  supphes — nearly 
fifty  of  these  slow  and  stupid  animals.  Leaving  this  border 
town  he  plunged  into  Tibet,  crossed  the  Kokonor  plain, 
passed  to  the  north  of  the  lake,  and  after  much  difficulty 
reached  Baramtsaidam.  Here  they  found  a  Mongohan,  who 
traded  camels  for  Lieutenant  Brooke's  yaks,  but  the  Mongol 
got  the  best  of  the  bargain.  Mr.  Brooke  refitted  his  caravan 
at  much  additional  expense  and  continued  his  journey,  cross- 
ing with  considerable  hardship  the  high  passes,  then  covered 
deep  with  snow. 

There  was  much  difficulty  in  finding  grass  for  his  camels 
and  fuel  to  cook  the  necessary  food  for  his  party. 

Finally  he  reached  a  point  within  a  few  days'  journey 
of  Lhasa,  and  had  a  long  interview  with  the  intractable 
guards  stationed  at  the  border  of  the  Lhasa  territory.  There 
was  much  delay,  and  Mr.  Brooke  made  several  detours  in 
the  hope  of  evading  the  guards,  but  v.'as  always  unsuccessful. 

6 


On  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


In  the  end  he  was  forced  to  turn  his  back  on  his  goal,  the  source 
of  the  Brahmaputra,  which,  after  months  of  weary  travel, 
he  had  almost  reached  ;  with  a  sad  heart  and  weary  tread 
he  turned  north.  On  his  retreat  he  made  friends  with  the 
Chief  of  a  Mongolian  caravan  returning  from  Lhasa  and 
joined  this  party,  and  proceeding  almost  due  north  came  out 
in  Turkestan,  and  then  crossed  into  Mongoha.  He  shot 
much  game  on  this  journey,  and  sent  home  one  of  the  finest 
heads  of  an  ovis  ammum  ever  seen  in  England.  After  some 
months  in  Mongolia  he  returned  to  Sining  and  Lanchow 
and  thence  travelled  almost  due  south  across  Kansuh  and 
Sechuan  provinces  as  far  as  Chungking. 

From  Chungking,  in  October,  1907,  he  took  boat  down 
the  Yantze  River  and  spent  the  winter  in  Japan  and  Corea. 

It  was  on  his  way  down  and  at  Ichang  that  I  first  met 
Mr.  Brooke.  We  had  a  long  talk  on  our  experiences  in  China 
and  Tibet.  I  happened  to  tell  him  of  that  part  of  the  country 
in  which  I  was  particularly  interested,  that  inhabited  by  the 
eighteen  tribes  of  Western  Sechuan.  "  Don't  be  surprised," 
he  said,  "  if  I  come  up  your  way  next  spring."  At  Shanghai 
he  met  Mr.  Edgar  of  the  China  Inland  Mission,  who  is  also 
interested  in  Western  China  and  Tibet,  and  their  meeting 
decided  him  to  come  west.  Two  and  a-half  months  were  spent 
in  Japan  and  Corea.  On  his  way  back  to  China  he  met,  at 
Tientain,  Mr.  C.  H.  Meares,  who  agreed  to  join  him  in  further 
travel.  Hankow  was  to  be  their  starting  point.  Mr.  Meares 
went  then  straightway  overland,  while  Mr.  Brooke  himself 
went  by  Shanghai,  to  make  necessary  arrangements  for  the  for- 
warding of  money  and  supplies  for  the  caravan.  They  met 
again  at  Hankow,  and  from  this  port  they  travelled  together, 
until  separated  by  the  untimely  death  of  Mr.  Brooke. 


CHAPTER   II. 

Procuring  the  Caravan. 

After  the  interview  with  tlie  Dalai  Lama,  Mr.  Brooke  said 
good-bye  to  his  friend  Mr.  Ridley,  and  started  for  Tankar 
to  purchase  the  necessary  yaks  and  ponies  needed  for  his 
expedition.  Tankar  is  a  Chinese  frontier  town,  where  a 
considerable  trade  is  carried  on  with  Tibetans  ;  it  is  situated 
on  the  Siho  or  West  River,  about  twenty-four  miles  nortli-west 
of  Kumbum  and  twenty  miles  east  of  Toba,  the  Mohammedan 
stronghold.  The  town  is  of  some  commercial  importance,  as  a 
kind  of  depot  for  Chinese  merchants  trading  with  Tibetans. 
Hither,  from  Lhasa,  come  the  caravans  of  the  Dalai  Lama. 
That  dignitary  drives  no  small  trade  with  the  Chinese,  and 
this  town  being  on  a  direct  route  between  Mongolia  and  Lhasa, 
large  caravans  pass  through  annually  in  the  fourth  moon 
on  their  way  to  the  "  Sacred  City."  To  this  town  the  Tibetans 
of  the  Kokonor  (Blue  Lake)  district  bring  in  their  produce, 
which  consists  of  salt,  hides,  wool,  sheep,  cattle,  horses  ;  and 
trade  them  with  the  Chinese  merchants  for  cotton  goods, 
red  felt,  wine,  snuff,  tea,  grain,  coarse  hemp  bags  and  sundry 
other  articles  which  Tibet  imports  from  China.  The 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  are  Chinese,  but  some 
Tibetans  and  Mongolians  also  live  on  the  street,  and  every 
day  large  caravans  may  be  seen  camping  outside  the  gate 
on  the  grassy  commons  that  surround  the  town  ;  the  writer 
camped  there  on  his  first  attempt  to  reach  the  Kokonor  district 
in  July,  1895.  Tankar,  moreover,  is  of  some  pohtical  and 
strategical  importance  and  was  originally  a  military  outpost. 


Procurinix  the   Caravan. 


Here  the  Sining  Amban  receives  the  Mongolian  Princes  once 
a  year  and  distributes  presents  in  the  name  of  the  Emperor. 
Ten  miles  to  the  east  may  be  seen  part  of  the  Great  Wall,  in 
which  the  gate  called  Kwanmen  is  now  in  ruins,  but  at  which 
a  guard  of  soldiers  was  formerly  stationed. 

The  town  was  once  within  Tibetan  territory,  but  the  Chinese 
have  gradually  swallowed  up  the  district  for  its  agriculture. 

Along  the  West  River  are  narrow  gorges  which  make  the 
entrance  to  Tankar  Valley  very  difficult  ;  the  Chinese  took 
advantage  of  these  natural  defences  during  the  Eastern 
rebellion  to  keep  the  Mohammedans  in  check. 

The  approach  from  the  east  is  charming  ;  a  beautiful  grove 
surrounding  a  water  mill  near  the  city  gate  first  greets  one, 
while  some  beautiful  temples  stand  out  on  the  hills  in  the 
background. 

There  is  one  principal  street  lined  on  either  side  by  shops, 
in  which  are  to  be  found  Chinese  wares  and  goods  for  bartering ; 
grain  and  food-stuffs,  beads,  earrings,  hair  ornaments,  pots, 
saddles,  ropes,  boots  and  so  forth  are  all  displayed.  The 
Yamen  opens  out  into  the  street,  and  so  do  a  small  lamasery 
and  several  wool  depots ;  the  houses  of  the  citizens  and 
representative  Tibetans  and  the  City  Temple  fill  up  most 
of  the  space  within  the  walls  of  this  border  town.  Outside 
the  gates  are  small  suburbs,  mostly  occupied  by  Mohammedans. 
Strewn  along  the  streets  and  suburbs  will  be  found  the  Chinese 
pedlar  or  travelhng  merchants  with  their  small  wares  spread 
out  on  mats,  waiting  for  their  opportunity  to  fleece  the  Tibetan 
or  Mongohan  traveller  as  he  passes  through.  Yaks  are  driven 
in  and  sold  for  beef,  their  average  price  being  from  5  to  7  taels 
each,  while  young  ones  in  ver}'^  good  condition  may  bring 
from  7  to  12  taels.  A  good  pony  costs  from  25  to  30  taels. 
The  tael  up  here  equals  about  three  shillings. 

While  Mr.  Brooke  was  delayed  here  trying  to  secure  his 
yaks,    Dr.    Taffel,  a   German    traveller,    arrived    from    Tibet, 

9 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


having  been  robbed  for  the  third  time  by  the  Golok,  a  famous 
brigand  tribe  inhabiting  the  region  south  of  the  Kokonor. 
When  Dr.  Taff el  arrived  at  Tankar  lie  had  little  left  but  what 
was  on  his  back,  and  was  dressed  like  one  of  the  famous  Golok, 
in  a  sheep-skin  coat,  Tibetan  boots  and  fur  cap,  with  a  girdle 
round  his  waist  and  his  gown  tucked  to  the  knee.  He  narrated 
the  story  of  his  narrow  escapes  from  the  hands  of  these 
notorious  nomads,  who  gain  their  livelihood  by  driving  away 
their  neighbours'  cattle,  attacking  caravans,  waylaying 
travellers,  whether  foreigners,  Chinese  or  Tibetans.  Dr.  Taffel's 
adventures,  however,  did  not  cause  Mr.  Brooke  to  hesitate 
to  continue  his  journey,  and  he  proceeded  with  his  negotia- 
tions for  securing  his  caravan.  Dr.  Taff  el  gave  him  a  good 
deal  of  information  from  his  lengthy  experience  in  the  country 
regarding  the  price  and  quality  of  the  animals  required,  and 
the  day  after  this  meeting  Mr.  Brooke  left  Tankar  and  pro- 
ceeded to  a  village  some  twenty  miles  away,  where  the  yaks 
were  to  be  procured. 

That  night  he  put  up  in  a  little  house  occupied  b}-  a  half- 
caste  Chinaman,  where  he  had  his  first  meal  of  tsamba  and 
buttered  tea,  the  staple  food  in  this  part  of  the  country  as  well 
as  in  Mongoha  and  Tibet.  In  these  regions  the  frontiers  are 
distinguished  by  deviations  of  diet.  In  spite  of  the  political 
boundary  established  by  the  Chinese,  they  are  constantly 
encroaching  on  Tibetan  and  Mongolian  territory.  On  the 
other  hand,  while  the  Chinese  trader  soon  learns  to  eat  and 
even  relish  Tibetan  food  in  Tibet,  he  would  not  think  of  living 
on  it  in  China,  where  it  is  always  referred  to  as  the  food  of  the 
barbarian.  Tsamba  is  parched  barley,  ground  into  rather 
fine  meal  and  mixed  into  dough  with  tea  and  butter  ;  when 
kneaded  to  the  proper  consistency,  just  hard  enough  not  to 
stick  to  one's  hands,  it  is  taken  out  of  the  wooden  bowl  which 
serves  for  plate,  cup  and  saucer  combined,  and  is  held  in  the 
hand,  while  the  cup  is  filled  with  tea,  and  one  makes  one's 

lO 


ProcLirine  the  Caravan. 


meal  by  biting  a  piece  out  of  the  dough  and  sipping  the  buttered 
tea.     Buttered  tea  is  made  in  this  part  of  the  country  by 
breaking  a  piece  of  Hankow  brick  tea  into  rather  small  pieces 
and  placing  them  in  a  copper  pot,  in  which  milk  and  water 
are  kept  boihng.    This  pot  is  kept  constantly  on  the  stove,  and 
tea  may  be  served  at  almost  any  hour  of  the   day  or  night. 
When  the  tea  is  poured  into  the  wooden  basin,   a  lump  of 
butter,  half  the  size  of  an  egg,   is  put  in  ;    this  floats  on  the 
top  and   when    dissolved    leaves    conspicuous    the  yak  hairs 
the    Tibetan    thinks    necessary    to    hold    together    and    give 
flavour  to  the  butter,  which  can  now  easily  be  skimmed  off 
or  blown  to  one  side  of  the  basin  while  one  drinks  from  the 
other  side.     When  the  diner  has  satisfied  his  appetite,  supposing 
him  to  have,  like  most  Tibetans,  a  long  tongue,  he  proceeds 
to  wash  his  bowl  by  licking  it  clean.     If,  however,  he  is  un- 
fortunate enough  to  be  tongue-tied,   he  must  then  use  his 
finger  to  wipe  the  bowl  out  and  finish  by  licking  his  finger 
clean  ;    nothing  must  be  allowed  to  go  to  waste  in  a  country 
where  food  is  so  scarce  and  precious.     Brooke's  half-caste's 
wife  did  all  the  work  and  appeared  very  cheerful.     She  wore 
her  hair  in  two  plaits  down  her  back.     Two  broad  blue-cloth 
stoles,  one  attached  to  each  braid  of  hair,  hung  down  her 
back   and  were   covered   with  stones,   large   cash   and   other 
trinkets,  which  must  have  weighed  several  pounds.         This 
is   the    border    Tibetan    fashion,    but  Brooke  was    told    the 
lady  was  of  Turkish  descent.     Next  morning,  on  going  into 
the  kitchen,  Mr.  Brooke  found  an  old  Lama,  his  host  and  four 
strong  children  all  munching  away  at  tsamba,   while  the  old 
lady  was  making  scones  in  an  iron  pot.     These    she  heated 
over  an  argol  fire.     There  being  no  wood  in  the  locahty,  the 
excretum  of  the  yak  is  dried  by  plastering  it  on  the  sides  of 
the  house,  and  when  dry  this  makes  very  good  fuel ;   that  is, 
when  one  knows  how  to  use  it,  but  it  is  slow,  tedious  work 
to  any  one  not  accustomed  to  the  use  of  this  fuel  to  attempt 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


to  cook  a  meal  on  it.  After  the  meal  was  over  the  husband 
spent  the  da}'  in  nursing  the  baby,  while  his  wife  attended 
to  the  work.  Mr.  Brooke  spent  the  day  in  bargaining  for  yak, 
and  succeeded  in  selecting  twenty-five  animals  out  of  the  herd 
at  14  taels  each.  The  price  went  up  as  usual  as  soon  as  it 
was  known  a  foreigner  wanted  to  purchase,  and  unless  his 
middleman    was  exceptional  we  may  rest  assured  that  that 


IK    MAN    FROM    WHOM    MR.    BROOKK    liOL'GHT 
THE    YAK. 


indispensable  person  did  not  close  this  bargain  with  an  empty 
pocket,  since  every  middleman  expects  to  make  at  least 
20  per  cent,  out  of  every  bargain  he  drives.  Mr.  Brooke 
also  engaged  a  yak  driver,  who  was  supposed  to  understand 
the  loading  and  management  of  the  clumsy  and  stupid  brutes. 
After  securing  the  animals  and  seeing  them  started  on  their 
way  to  Tankar,  Brooke  returned  to  Sining  to  pick  up  his 
belongings  and  say  good-bye  to  the  Ridlcys,      While  he  was 


Procuring"  the  Caravan. 


there  their  Kttle  boy  died,  and  he  left  them  in  sorrow.  Mr. 
Brooke  never  forgot  the  kindness  shown  to  him  by  these 
good  people,  and  I  often  heard  him  speak  of  them  while  in 
Sechuan.  Here  he  again  met  Dr.  Taffel,  and  they  travelled 
together  half  way  to  Tankar,  where  their  road  separated, 
and  Brooke,  not  having  a  servant  or  escort,  travelled 
the  remainder  of    the  road  alone.     "When   about    live    miles 


CHILHREN    OF   THE    MAX    FROM    WHOM    MR. 
BROOKE    BOUGHT   THE   YAK. 


from  Tankar  a  Tibetan  overtook  him,  and  for  some  time 
appeared  most  friendly,  riding  alongside  and  trying  to  converse. 
Suddenly  he  snatched  at  Mr.  Brooke's  reins  and,  pulling  his 
pony  up  and  at  the  same  moment  drawing  his  sword,  an 
instrument  which  every  Tibetan  is  provided  with  in  these 
parts,  he  succeeded  in  striking  Brooke  over  the  head  with  it. 
The  blow  was  weak  and  did  little  damage,  and  Brooke, 
slipping  off  his  pony,  kept  it  between  himself  and  his  sudden 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

antagonist.  Finding  this  defence  uncertain  he  rushed  in  at 
close  quarters  and  pulled  the  Tibetan  off  his  pony,  dragging 
him  about  on  the  ground,  which  exhausted  himself  un- 
necessarily. Finally  he  succeeded  in  securing  his  enemy's 
sword,  but  though  he  struck  at  him  with  the  w^eapon 
the  Tibetan's  sheep-skin  coat  was  so  hard  and  thick  that  the 
blow^  did  little  more  than  cut  the  garment  slight!}'.  The 
Tibetan  now  rushed  Brooke  in  turn  and  recovered  the 
sword,  but  Brooke  so  kept  hold  of  him  that  he  had  no 
opportunity  of  using  it,  and  my  friend  managed  to  secure 
the  weapon  a  second  time  and  hurled  it  into  the  mountain 
stream  which  roared  beside  them.  The  Tibetan  bolted  off 
to  try  and  recover  it,  and  Brooke  spent  this  breathing  space 
in  trying  to  kick  up  a  stone  out  of  the  hard  road ;  but 
the  Tibetan,  noticing  what  he  was  at,  left  the  sword  and 
rushed  against  Brooke,  knocking  him  over  and  trying  himself 
to  secure  the  stone,  still  fast  in  the  ground.  Brooke  secured 
another  stone,  but  was  by  this  time  so  exhausted  that  he  had 
little  strength  left  to  use  it  and  only  just  managed  to  give  the 
Tibetan  a  bump  on  the  head.  They  closed  again,  and  Brooke 
managing  to  get  on  top,  banged  his  opponent's  face  with 
his  fist,  but  it  seemed  to  have  Httle  effect.  The  Tibetan 
then  got  on  top  and  pounded  his  enemy  on  the  forehead 
with  small  stones.  Brooke  now^  managed  to  get  in  a  stroke 
under  the  Tibetan's  chin  which  stunned  him  a  little,  and  he 
succeeded  in  getting  away.  His  own  horse  was  grazing  close 
by  and  he  managed  to  catch  and  mount  him.  As  he  rode 
off  he  looked  back  and  saw  the  Tibetan  do  likewise,  only 
riding  in  the  opposite  direction.  Fortunately  he  did  not 
appear  to  have  any  accomplices.  Brooke  finally  arrived  at 
Tankar  bleeding  and  exhausted.  He  found  his  boy  just 
lighting  a  lamp  to  come  and  look  for  him.  The  servant 
professed  to  be  very  much  distressed  that  he  was  not  with 
his    master    to    help    him    against    the    Tibetan,    but    after 

14 


Procuring  the  Caravan. 


Brooke  got  better  acquainted  with  this  worthy,  he  perceived 
that  he  was,  in  fact,  dehghted  not  to  have  been  with  liim. 
In  truth,  the  boy  proved  to  be  a  coward  in  every  respect. 

Two  Mandarins  called  on  Brooke  next  day  and  appeared 
most  sympathetic.  They  stated  that  soldiers  had  been  sent 
off,  soon  after  he  arrived,  in  pursuit  of  the  Tibetan,  and  had 
captured  him  early  that  morning ;  and  they  wanted  to 
know  what  punishment  he  thought  should  be  inflicted. 
Brooke  said  that  for  such  a  crime  in  his  country  a  man 
would  be  given  several  years'  imprisonment,  with  nothing 
but  bread  and  water  to  sustain  hfe.  The  Mandarins  replied 
they  had  a  similar  law  in  their  country ;  and  nine  months 
later  Brooke  saw  the  Tibetan  still  retained  in  the  prison 
at  Sining.  Brooke's  wounds,  which  consisted  of  a  cut  on 
his  head  and  some  bruises  on  his  forehead,  soon  healed. 
On  the  1 8th  of  November  he  packed  the  forty- five  unwieldy 
yaks  that  composed  his  caravan,  together  wdth  eight 
Chinamen  in  all,  including  an  interpreter  from  the  Amban 
at  Sining,  who  had  some  influence  on  the  robbers  of  the 
Kokonor  district.  It  took  about  five  hours  to  pack  the 
caravan,  and,  as  usually  happens  on  the  first  day  of  an  ex- 
pedition, the  loads  tumbled  about,  frightening  the  yaks  into 
a  mad  stampede,  so  that  only  a  few  miles  were  accom- 
phshed  before  encamping.  The  second  day  was  most 
disastrous  ;  the  tent  poles  were  broken  during  the  night  by 
some  of  the  yaks  smashing  into  it,  his  theodolite  and  plane 
table  were  also  smashed  during  the  march  by  the  clumsy 
creatures.  These  disasters  greatly  affected  the  scientific 
results  hoped  for  from  the  expedition.  Late  in  the  evening 
the  yaks  were  tied  up  to  the  line  rope,  which  is  fastened  by 
pegs  or  tied  to  great  tufts  of  grass,  and  to  this  rope  all  the 
animals  are  attached.  Senerh,  his  boy,  foolishly  went  too 
close  to  one  of  the  semi-savage  yaks,  whose  horn  came  in 
contact  with  one  of  the  boy's  ribs  with  such  force  that  he  was 

15 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

compelled  to  ride  every  day  for  a  month,  and  was  able  to  do 
no  work.  The  country  was  now  covered  with  grass  and 
undulating  hills,  on  which  large  herds  of  cattle  were  seen 
grazing.  The  people  were  friendly  but  quite  on  the  alert, 
as  a  dreaded  band  of  Golok  was  reported  to  be  roving  about, 
and  there  was  no  telling  when  or  where  they  might  pounce 
upon  some  herd  and  drive  them  off  into  some  secluded  valley, 
and  thus  get  them  away  into  their  own  country,  which  reall}' 
lies  south  of  the  Yellow  River.  At  last  they  came  in  sight 
of  the  Kokonor  and  camped  by  the  lake.  During  the  night 
there  was  a  heavy  fall  of  snow,  which  had  the  effect  of  making 
his  boys  move  even  more  slowly  than  the  notoriously  slack 
Kansuite  is  in  the  habit  of  doing.  Packing  the  animals  next 
morning  proved  a  difficult  job,  as  the  men  were  not  used  to 
the  intense  cold.  Their  caravan  moved  slowly,  as  yaks  cannot 
travel  more  than  eight  or  ten  miles  per  day,  especially  if  they 
are  on  a  long  journey.  During  the  march  Mr.  Brooke  shot 
a  wild  pony  called  a  kyang,  the  meat  of  which  proved  to  be 
very  good  eating.  It  is  impossible  to  say  whether  these 
animals  are  ponies  or  mules ;  they  seem  to  be  quite  a  distinct 
species  and  do  not  interbreed  with  the  Tibetan  and  Mongolian 
ponies  that  roam  about  the  plains  in  a  semi-wild  state.  He 
only  heard  of  one  instance  of  a  hybrid  Mongolian  pou}' 
and  wild  kyang.  They  are  quite  distinct  from  any  species 
of  the  horse,  mule  or  donkey,  having  a  mule's  tail,  and  mane, 
nose  and  ears  like  a  horse  ;  they  can  be  easily  caught  when 
they  join  a  large  herd  of  Mongolian  ponies  feeding  on  the 
plains.  They  are  very  fleet,  however,  and  when  feeding 
by  themselves  would  be  almost  impossible  of  capture. 

Lieutenant-Colonel  Waddell,  in  his  most  valuable  book, 
"  Lhasa  and  its  Mysteries,"*  thus  describes  the  kyang  : — 
"  Passing  along  under  the  flank  of  Chumolhari,  we  found 
that  the  apparently  bare  desert  plain,  as  we  traversed  it, 

*  Murray. 
16 


Procuring  the  Caravan. 


was  freely  studded  over  with  clumps  of  grass  and  weeds 
between  the  pebbles,  for  the  plain  was  thickly  strewn  with 
loose  pebbles  and  sandy  gravel  like  the  dried-up  bed  of  a 
sea  or  lake  ;  and  this  loose  gravel  was  very  trying  to  walk 
on,  and  for  the  transport  animals,  as  it  wore  out  their  shoes 
and  lamed  them. 

"  Browsing  on  this  scanty  herbage,  which  curiously  included 
many  thistles,  were  hundreds  of  large  wild  asses,  the  kyang 
of  the  Tibetans,  in  troops  of  tens  and  twenties  or  more.  At 
first  we  took  them  for  detachments  of  Tibetan  Cavalry,  the 
wild  horsemen  of  the  Changtang,  as  they  came  galloping  along 
in  a  whirlwind  of  dust,  then  executed  a  perfect  wheel-round, 
then  extended  out  in  a  line  at  regular  intervals,  and  advanced 
again  ;  and  as  if  at  the  word  of  command  reformed  into  close 
order  and  came  to  an  instant  halt.  Several  of  them  galloped 
towards  us  and  stood  looking  at  us,  out  of  curiosity,  as  near 
as  300  yards  away,  and  a  few  trotted  through  the  lines  of  our 
baggage  mules,  doubtless  recognising  their  family  relation- 
ship. They  are  pretty  animals,  more  like  ponies  than  asses, 
and  move  with  great  grace.  They  are  about  the  size  and 
shape  of  zebras,  but  with  better  heads.  Their  general  colour 
is  a  rich  golden  brown  with  jet  black  points  and  stripes.  When 
I  was  in  North-Western  Tibet,  evading  the  frontier  guards, 
I  have  seen  these  colours  form  startling  kaleidoscopic  varieties 
of  tints  in  the  bright  sunshine,  at  one  time  bright  sandy  yellow, 
almost  white,  changing  to  golden  chestnut  and  deep  black, 
giving  the  appearance  of  a  caravan  of  black-coated  men 
moving  amongst  hght-coloured  laden  animals.  The  Tibetans 
say  that  these  animals  are  untameable,  but  they  do  not  look 
so  very  wild.  I  cannot  help  thinking  that  here,  in  the  liome 
of  these  wild  asses,  we  have  a  great  field  for  breeding  mules 
for  the  Indian  Army,  the  supply  for  which  never  can  meet 
the  demand  ;  and  to  obtain  these  insufficient  numbers  we 
have  yearly  to  ransack  the  whole  world,  sending  agents  to 
(11243)  17  c 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

Persia,  Spain,  Italy,  China,  Yunnan  and  America,  at  enormous 
cost. 

"  As  we  march  on  and  on  across  this  great  plain,  with  nothing 
to  relieve  the  dulness  but  these  herds  of  roving  kyang  and 
the  encircling  hills  beyond,  the  eye  wearies  of  the  stretches 
of  loose  gravel  with  its  stunted  tufts  of  withered  grass,  and 
the  monotony  of  it  all  oppresses  the  spirits." 

Several  of  these  animals  were  found  at  Lhalu  ;  they  had 
been  given  as  a  present  to  the  Dalai  Lama,  who  had  them 
fed  and  stalled  there.  Colonel  Waddell  got  close  enough 
to  photograph  them,  and,  later,  two  of  them  were  caught 
by  members  of  the  jNIission,  to  be  as  a  present  to  the  King. 
Colonel  Waddell  classifies  the  wild  ass  as  Eguus  hemionus* 

Quite  early  in  the  afternoon  Brooke  and  his  party 
came  to  an  old  Tibetan  fort  or  stock  yard,  into  which  they 
drove  their  yaks  and  ponies  for  the  night,  as  the  place  was 
infested  with  robbers.  Four  Tibetans  came  about,  whose 
appearance  did  not  inspire  confidence.  They  were  particu- 
larly anxious  to  see  Brooke's  fire-arms.  He  had  determined 
not  to  show  them  unless  it  was  really  necessary,  knowing 
that  a  savage's  awe  of  a  gun  is  always  greater  before  he  knows 
anything  about  its  mechanism.  However,  wishing  to  be 
civil,  he  let  his  visitors  each  handle  one  of  the  four  guns  he 
had  with  him.  A  fourth  man  tried  to  get  hold  of  his  ^Mauser 
pistol  which,  after  his  experience  with  the  Tibetan  near  Tankar, 
Brooke  always  carried  in  his  belt.  Discovering  the  game 
in  time  and  unfastening  his  Mauser  from  his  belt,  he  com- 
manded the  men  to  hand  back  his  rifles,  which  they  evidently 
intended  to  make  their  own.  As  it  happened  there  were  no 
cartridges  in  the  magazines,  even  if  they  had  known  how  to 
use  the  rifles ;  anyhow,  tliey  quietly  handed  them  back  to 
the  boy. 

Next  day  on  the  march  four  horsemen  tried  to  surprise 

*  "  Lhasa  and  its  .Mysteries,"  page  484. 
18 


Procuring  the  Caravan. 


the  caravan,  but  seeing  there  was  quite  a  large  party  they 
did  not  press  an  attack.  At  evening  the  party  again  en- 
camped early  and  Mr.  Brooke  went  out  shooting.  He  had  not 
gone  far  before  he  discovered  the  four  gentlemen  they  had 
met  during  the  march,  sneaking  over  a  hill  not  far  away, 
their  four  horses  tied  to  tufts  of  grass  close  by.  The  worst 
of  this  country  is  that  every  one  suspects  every  one  else  of 
being  a  thief.  The  traveller  may  be  out  shooting  when 
suddenly  he  discovers  that  crawling  along  behind  him,  only 
a  few  hundred  yards  away,  are  several  men,  evidently  on  his 
track  to  see  what  he  is  about.  This  puts  an  end  to  the  hunting 
expedition  for  that  day,  for  he  has  not  the  slightest  idea 
who  his  stalkers  are,  but  infers  from  their  behaviour  that 
they  would  as  soon  take  a  shot  at  the  strange  hunter  as  they 
would  at  the  natural  game  of  the  country.  There  is  a  distinct 
difference  between  the  professional  and  amateur  robber — 
the  professional  is  deliberate  and  goes  in  for  big  hauls,  attacking 
large  herds  and  driving  off  a  good  number  of  cattle  at  each 
attack  ;  the  amateur  picks  off  small  caravans,  appropriating 
whatever  goods  he  may  obtain  for  the  benefit  of  his  party, 
but  seldom  taking  life,  unless  actually  driven  to  it.  Brooke 
returned  to  camp,  and  during  the  night  was  aroused  by  a 
terrible  barking  of  dogs.  Turning  out  of  his  warm  sleeping 
bag,  he  found  the  men  hard  at  work  piling  the  grain  bags 
in  position  to  fortify  the  camp.  They  all  worked  hard  getting 
the  bags  in  place,  but  the  howls  of  a  pack  of  wolves  came 
closer  and  closer,  and  presently  the  camp  was  surrounded. 
Fortunately  the  yaks  and  horses  were  securely  tethered  to  the 
hne  ropes,  and  though  they  made  strenuous  efforts  to  escape 
they  did  not  succeed  in  getting  loose.  A  few  volleys  from 
the  four  rifles  fired  from  behind  the  grain  bags  so  surprised 
the  wolves  that  they  turned  and  fled,  leaving  some  of  their 
companions  dead  on  the  ground. 

The  next  day  the  party  had  a  good  deal  of  difficulty  in 
(11243)  19  c  2 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

crossing  a  river  which  was  partly  frozen,  and  got  most  of  the 
baggage  wet,  which  necessitated  the  delay  of  one  day  to  dry 
the  grain.  They  next  crossed  over  a  high  pass  about  ii,ooo 
feet  above  sea-level  that  divides  the  Kokonor  from  the  Tsai- 
dam.  There  was  a  good  deal  of  snow  on  the  pass,  but  they 
succeeded  in  getting  over  without  incident.  They  finally 
arrived  at  a  Mongolian  encampment  and  were  directed  to 
the  chief,  Chinghiwang,  who  was  camped  a  few  days'  march 
farther  on  ;  and  there  Brooke  hoped  to  spend  several  days 
reorganising  the  caravan,  changing  his  slow  and  tedious  yak 
for  camels  before  proceeding  on  his  journey. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Across  the  Tsaidam  and  on  to  Lhasa. 

They  reached  the  lake  of  Dulan  and  camped  on  its  grassy 
shore  in  a  rich  pasture  land,  where  the  only  difficulty  was 
in  finding  firewood,  which  had  to  be  carried  for  a  long  dis- 
tance. Mr.  Brooke  called  on  Chinghiwang,  who  was  camped 
not  far  away.  He  found  him  living  in  a  tent  very  similar 
to  the  other  Mongolians  on  the  plain,  with  very  little  to  show 
that  he  was  a  Prince;  indeed,  a  Scottish  crofter's  cottage  would 
have  been  a  palace  to  his  bare  little  tent.  A  Mongohan's 
tent  in  this  part  of  the  country  consists  of  a  framework  of 
wood,  which  comes  down  like  the  ribs  of  a  boat ;  only  turned 
upside  down.  These  ribs  are  joined  by  a  sort  of  trellis  work, 
and  the  whole  frame  collapses,  dividing  into  four  sections 
when  it  is  desired  to  move  on  to  other  grazing  grounds.  The 
roof  was  formed  of  a  number  of  sticks  resting  on  the  wall, 
and  all  were  tied  to  a  ring  of  iron  in  the  centre  of  the  roof, 
which  formed  the  chimney.  The  wliole  framework  was  then 
covered  with  felt  or  a  coarse  cloth  made  of  yak's  hair.  In 
the  centre  was  a  raised  stone  fireplace  bearing  an  iron  frame, 
on  which  an  argol  fire  was  brightly  burning,  and  with  a  pot 
of  tea  always  on  the  boil.  Through  the  chimney  hole  in  the 
roof  the  smoke  satisfactorily  escaped,  and  these  tents  are 
really  comfortable.  From  the  walls  of  the  chief's  tent  hung 
several  old  fuse  guns  and  skins  of  butter,  while  on  the  floor, 
around  the  sides  of  the  tent,  were  a  number  of  Chinese  skin 
boxes,  on  one  of  which  was  placed  some  Tibetan  Scriptures, 
carefully    wrapped    in    a    cloth    and    bound    between    two 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

boards,  which  formed  the  cover.  These  are  never  opened 
till  a  priest  comes,  when  they  are  read  for  three  days  con- 
tinuously with  great  ceremony  and  feasting. 

The  Prince  had  recently  returned  from  Lhasa,  and  as  the 
party  sat  around  the  fire,  cross-legged,  eating  mien  which 
had  been  boiled  in  milk  (mien  is  vermicelli  imported  from 
China  and  is  counted  quite  a  delicacy  by  both  the  Mongolians 
and  Tibetans),  he  told  most  vivid  tales  of  the  difficulties  that 
had  to  be  encountered  on  the  way,  especially  at  this  time 
of  the  year.  Mr.  Brooke  was  assured  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  make  the  journey  with  yak,  as  the  passes  would 
be  deep  in  snow  and  they  would  not  be  able  to  procure  fodder 
on  the  heights,  and  the  yak  were  so  slow  it  would  be  necessary 
to  camp  on  the  passes.  He  felt  that  the  Prince  was  paving 
his  way  to  secure  a  good  price  for  the  camels,  which  he  was 
anxious  to  supply,  and  also  to  depreciate  the  value  of  the 
yaks,  which  he  hoped  to  obtain  in  part  payment  for  his  camels. 
Brooke  insisted  that  his  yak  could  easily  make  the 
journey,  as  they  were  young  and  in  good  condition,  and  added 
that  he  had  paid  14  taels  apiece  for  them  in  order  to  secure 
first-class  animals.  After  an  hour's  interview  Brooke 
returned  to  his  tent,  still  undecided  as  to  what  was  really 
the  best  thing  to  do.  The  next  day  the  Prince  invited  him 
again  to  his  tent.  He  had  prepared  quite  a  banquet  and 
invited  a  number  of  friends.  They  all  sat  round  the  fire 
cross-legged  as  before,  and  began  the  feast  by  drinking  tea 
and  eating  tsamba.  The  second  course  was  boiled  mutton, 
of  which  every  man  seized  a  piece  in  his  hand,  gnawing  it  and 
smacking  his  lips  in  a  most  appreciative  way.  After  the  mutton, 
Chinese  wine  was  offered,  a  beverage  distilled  from  grain, 
and  (if  no  water  has  been  added  during  its  long  journey  to 
the  Mongohan  tent)  usually  found  to  contain  about  65  per 
cent,  of  alcohol,  though  the  stronger  it  is  the  more  these 
dwellers   on  the  highlands   appreciate   it.     The   Prince   again 


Across  the  Tsaidam  and  on  to   Lhasa. 

introduced  the  subject  of  camels  and  promised  to  sell 
Brooke  some  at  a  reasonable  price,  if  he  would  not  continue 
his  journey  to  Lhasa.  This  suggestion  Brooke  would  not 
entertain,  and  again  asserted  his  intention  of  proceeding  with 
his  yaks.  The  Prince  insisted  that  Brooke  should  wait 
a  few  days  until  his  caravan  of  camels — which  had  been 
sent  to  Sining  laden  with  hides,  wool  and  butter,  and  were 
to  bring  back  grain — should  return ;  assuring  him  that  it 
would  not  be  more  than  a  few  days  before  they  arrived.  He 
stayed. 

Meanwhile  he  made  friends  with  some  of  the  people,  and 
especially  with  one  old  man,  who  was  troubled  with  rheu- 
matism, and  whom,  by  the  use  of  his  galvanic  battery, 
Brooke  was  able  to  relieve.  In  return  the  old  man  under- 
took to  initiate  his  physician  in  the  mystery  of  understand- 
ing the  points  of  a  good  camel.  His  instructions  came  to 
this  : — "  Old  camels  are  not  valuable,  as  they  will  not  stand 
the  fatigue  of  a  long  journey  ;  their  teeth  are  short  and  they 
cannot  masticate  the  coarse  grass  of  the  highlands  of  Tibet. 
Their  hump  sags  or  droops,  and  they  lack  spring  in  their  gait. 
A  young  camel  is  alert ;  he  is  always  on  the  look-out  for  food, 
and  is  more  readily  startled  by  a  stranger  or  by  such  moving 
objects  as  he  may  see  even  at  some  distance  from  the  road. 
His  teeth  are  long,  his  hump  is  erect  and  he  has  a  spring  in 
his  movement  which  is  easily  detected." 

When  the  caravan  returned  the  Prince  brought  over  four 
of  his  poorest  camels,  which  he  offered  to  trade  for 
Brooke's  forty-two  yak  :  three  of  his  original  caravan  having 
died  since  crossing  the  partly  frozen  river  on  the  other  side 
of  the  pass.  Brooke  expressed  indignation  at  this  offer, 
and  said  he  had  come  to  the  Prince  believing  him  to  be  an 
honest  man,  who  would  not  take  advantage  of  a  stranger, 
and  he  demonstrated  the  camels  offered  to  be  old  and  useless. 
The  Prince  replied  that  as  sure  as  God  was  in   Heaven  he 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

could  not  tell  a  lie,  and  repeated  that  the  four  animals  he 
had  brought  were  the  pick  of  his  flock. 

He  departed,  taking  the  animals  with  him,  but  returned 
next  day,  bringing  four  better  camels.  Mr.  Brooke  told 
him  that  if  he  took  camels  at  all  he  would  need  at  least  ten, 
and  that  he  would  accept  the  four  now  brought  in  exchange 
for  his  yaks  on  condition  that  the  Prince  sold  him  six  others 
at  a  fair  price,  and  that  he  should  keep  possession  of  his  yak 
until  the  bargain  was  completed.  The  Prince  readily  agreed, 
and  nine  other  camels  were  chosen  from  the  pack,  averaging 
about  35  taels  apiece,  while  the  four  young  ones  were  about 
55  taels.  When  the  animals  were  packed  Brooke  found 
that  he  had  just  sufficient  to  carry  his  outfit  comfortably 
and  allow  his  men  to  ride.  The  last  camel  to  be  brought 
was  one  with  a  tuft  of  hair  out  of  its  side.  Brooke  some- 
how fancied  the  camel,  but  the  Prince  tried  in  every  way 
to  prove  that  it  was  not  a  desirable  animal  for  such  a  journey, 
stating  that  it  ate  its  own  wool  when  it  was  hungry,  which 
accounted  for  the  bare  spot  on  its  side.  He  shook  his  head, 
indicating  that  the  animal  was  no  good,  but  his  features 
betrayed  him,  and  Brooke  did  not  believe  a  word  he 
said  ;  and  later,  sure  enough,  another  Mongolian  told  him 
that  the  boys  at  Sining  had  pulled  the  hair  off.  The  Prince 
finally  raised  the  price  to  65  taels,  which  Brooke  paid,  and 
found  the  animal  to  be  the  best  of  the  bunch. 

The  day  before  they  started  on  their  long  and  tedious 
journey  towards  Lhasa  the  Prince  dined  with  Brooke. 
As  a  dehcacy  a  dish  made  from  Bird's  custard  powder  and 
sugar  was  provided.  The  Prince  did  not  seem  to  relish  this 
and  ate  but  little  ;  his  son,  however,  seemed  very  fond  of 
sugar,  and  helped  himself  liberally. 

Late  in  the  evening  of  the  last  day  he  expected  to  spend 
at  Dulan,  Senerh,  his  cook,  in  company  with  his  Shanghai 
boy,  came  into  his  tent  and  demanded  that  each  of  the  men 

24 


Across  the  Tsaidam  and  on   to  Lhasa. 

be  given  50  taels  in  advance  ;  if  not  they  would  go  back. 
Brooke  ordered  them  out  of  the  tent  and  said  he  would  see 
them  in  the  morning. 

The  Shanghai  boy,  who  up  to  this  time  had  proved  faithful, 
now  broke  the  news  that  during  the  days  spent  in  camp  the 
servants,  having  nothing  better  to  do,  had  been  talking  over 
the  difficulties  and  hardships  which  lay  before  them,  and 
had  all  decided  to  turn  back.  This  conspiracy  made  it  im- 
possible to  start  next  day,  so  Brooke  sent  the  useless 
ones  out  to  gather  firewood,  and  kept  three  of  the  best  men 
in  camp.  These  he  made  sign  a  paper  promising  they  would 
go  on,  and  himself  agreed  to  send  back  25  taels  to  each  of 
their  famihes.  To  this  plan  they  all  agreed,  much  to  the 
disappointment  of  the  useless  ones,  who  were  the  originators 
of  the  disturbance  and  who  had  hoped  to  gain  something 
for  their  trouble.  On  December  28th  the  party  set  forth, 
leaving  the  rebellious  and  worthless  men  with  food  sufficient 
at  least  to  take  them  back  to  Chinese  territory.  Senerh, 
the  Sining  boy,  repented  and  begged  to  be  taken  along.  The 
interpreter  who  joined  the  party  at  Tankar,  and  had  only 
been  engaged  as  far  as  this  place,  was  sent  back  with  a  horse 
and  his  full  wages  ;  while  the  other  two  only  got  half  their 
wages,  as  they  had  been  discontented,  disobedient,  and  lazy 
throughout  the  whole  of  the  journey. 

They  found  the  camels  a  great  comfort  after  the  clumsy, 
slow,  brainless  yaks,  who  were  always  dumping  their  loads 
off  by  running  against  each  other,  and  moved  so  slowly  that 
it  made  the  march  very  tedious.  The  camels  moved  along 
at  about  four  miles  an  hour,  keeping  up  the  pace  day  after 
day  during  the  march  ;  they  were  much  less  trouble  to  tie 
up  at  night  and  to  find  when  out  grazing  on  the  plain. 

During  the  first  two  days'  march  the  road  led  through 
sandstone  hills,  which  rose  from  1,500  to  2,500  feet  above 
the  valleys  ;    the  southern  slopes  were  covered  with  stunted 

25 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

pine  trees  ;  they  saw  evidence  of  bear,  but  no  wild  yak  or 
ovis  amniiim.  On  the  30th  of  December  they  crossed  quite 
a  large  river,  flowing  through  rather  a  deep  gorge  which 
sheltered  it  from  the  sun.  The  ice  was  sufficiently  thick  to 
allow  the  camels  to  cross  it.  This  river  is  reported  to  be 
fed  from  Dulan  Nor,  but  this  Dulan  Nor  is  a  different  lake 
from  the  one  on  which  the  Prince  was  camped,  and  its 
waters  were  more  saltish,  and  the  earth  by  its  shores  con- 
tained much  alkali,  which  hindered  the  grass  from  growing. 
They  were  now  nearing  the  swamps  of  the  Tsaidam  proper. 
Wherever  the  banks  of  the  river  had  cut  to  any  depth  through 
the  hills  and  rising  ground  there  was  evidence  of  conglomerate 
rock  beneath  the  red  sandstone  which  appeared  on  the 
surface.  Passing  through  the  rolling  lands  they  entered 
a  large  sandy  plain,  through  which  they  travelled  as  far  as 
Baram  Tsaidam,  where  another  important  IMongolian  Prince 
had  his  headquarters.  They  were  guided  thither  by  an 
escort  and  interpreter  in  one,  sent  with  them  by  Chinghiwang 
as  far  as  Baram  Tsaidam,  with  orders  there  to  hand  the  party 
over  to  the  next  chief.  On  reaching  the  place  they  had 
some  little  difficulty  in  finding  the  Mongohan  tents,  and 
when  they  did  find  them  it  was  to  discover  that  the  plain 
on  which  they  were  encamped  was  almost  destitute  of  grass, 
and  this  when  Mr.  Brooke's  camels  were  much  in  need  of 
resting  a  few  days  on  good  grazing  ground.  The  ponies 
suffered  even  more  than  the  camels,  for  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  shrubbery  about  on  which  the  latter  seemed  to  feed 
freely.  Occasionally  one  of  the  young  camels,  who  thought 
he  could  find  better  fodder  further  away,  would  start  off 
on  a  journey  by  himself,  looking  back  every  few  minutes 
to  see  if  others  were  following  him  ;  when  he  found  that 
by  this  means  he  was  unable  to  coax  them  far  from  camp 
he  would  return,  and  after  remaining  some  httle  time  would 
start  out  on  a  similar  search. 

26 


Across  the  Tsaidam  and  on   to    Lhasa. 


The  day  after  Mr.  Brooke's  arrival  at  Baram  Tsaidam 
he  was  told  that  the  Mongolian  Chief  did  not  live  there,  and 
that  it  was  impossible  to  procure  a  local  guide.  Taking 
the  interpreter  he  set  out  to  search  for  someone  in  authority, 
and  did  manage  to  find  the  house  of  the  Mongolian  Prince ; 
but  only  his  brother  and  an  old  Lama  were  at  home.  The 
village  was  surrounded  by  a  low  mud  wall  enclosing  a  few 
mud  huts,  which  were  dark  and  dirty.  The  Lama  was  sitting 
on  a  large  shelf  in  semi-darkness,  a  butter  lamp  burning 
close  by.  The  visitors  were  shown  in  by  the  Prince's  brother, 
who  motioned  them  to  a  mat,  where  he  immediately  joined 
them.  Brooke,  through  his  interpreter,  informed  the  Mon- 
golian of  his  recent  visit  to  the  Dalai  Lama  and  the  Amban 
at  Sining,  who  had  given  him  a  passport  to  cross  Tibet  into 
India ;  and  explained  that  Chinghiwang  had  received  him 
and  given  him  a  guide  to  this  place,  where  he  was  assured 
that  he  would  receive  an  escort  to  guide  him  on  his  way. 

The  Lama  and  the  Mongolian  talked  together  for  some 
time,  and  then  they  excused  themselves  on  the  ground  that 
their  lord  was  not  at  home,  and  that  they  could  do  nothing 
in  the  matter.  Brooke  asked  them  to  think  the  matter 
over,  for  though  it  was  not  his  wish  to  make  any  trouble, 
yet  if  he  journeyed  alone  and  anything  should  happen  by 
the  way,  the  Chinese  Government  might  hold  them  respon- 
sible, as  it  was  important,  he  told  them,  for  him  to  get  right 
through  to  India. 

After  further  discussion  they  said  they  would  let  him  have 
an  answer  in  the  morning,  and  the  next  day  the  Mongolian 
came  to  his  tent  with  a  guide  who  was  to  escort  him  ten  days 
west  to  a  place  called  by  the  Chinese,  Dachinpa,  i.e.,  great 
clear  plain.  They  afterwards  learned  that  the  story  of  the 
Prince  being  away  from  home  was  quite  a  true  one.  The 
day  before  they  arrived  the  Golok  had  swept  down  upon 
his  herds,  and  had  driven  away  loo  of  his  ponies,  and  the 

27 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

whole  countryside  had  been  called  out  to  give  chase.  The 
Golok  come  into  the  country  in  large  bands  and  break  up 
into  small  parties,  visiting  the  Mongolian  encampments 
ostensibly  as  traders.  When  they  have  found  out  where  the 
Mongolian  herds  are  feeding  and  the  strength  of  the  camp, 
they  collect  together  again,  and  drive  off  the  herds  into  some 
valley,  and  by  ways  and  means  known  to  them,  and  in  forced 
marches,  usually  succeed  in  getting  the  animals  clean  away. 
A  band  of  these  Golok  in  disguise  visited  Baram  Tsaidam 
the  day  after  the  ponies  above-mentioned  had  been  driven 
off,  no  doubt  with  the  idea  of  putting  the  Mongolians 
on  the  wrong  track  of  their  lost  possessions.  Brooke 
tried  to  photograph  the  bunch,  but  the  moment  they  saw 
the  camera  they  ran  off,  while  one  member  of  the  party 
sprang  toward  the  camera  and  covered  the  lens  with  his  hand. 
When  the  party  was  just  ready  to  leave  Baram  Tsaidam, 
Senerh,  the  cook,  declared  that  he  must  go  back  as  he  had 
run  out  of  opium.  After  considerable  discussion  the  man 
was  allowed  to  go.  To  take  an  opium-smoker,  who  had 
no  means  of  securing  a  daily  supply  of  that  drug,  could  only 
have  led  to  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  the  man  would  be 
worse  than  useless;  so,  from  this  place,  Brooke  went 
forward  with  only  five  Chinese.  From  Baram  Tsaidam  to 
Dachinpa  they  travelled  westward  over  a  desert  covered 
witli  brushwood  about  six  feet  high,  where  the  camels  and 
ponies  belonging  to  the  Mongolians  roamed  in  a  semi-wild 
state.  Their  new  jMongolian  guide  was  a  most  rehgious 
man,  repeating  his  prayers  continually.  When  they  pitched 
camp  and  the  tea  began  to  boil,  he  would  seize  the  ladle  used 
for  serving  out  the  tea,  and,  muttering  his  prayers,  would 
throw  a  httle  of  the  tea  out  of  the  door  three  times,  with 
considerable  ceremony  between  each  swing  of  the  ladle; 
then  proceeding  to  serve  Brooke  and  afterwards  the  other 
members  of  the  party. 

28 


Across  the  Tsciidam  and  on  to   Lhasa. 

On  arriving  at  Dachinpa  the  party  chose  a  good  camping 
ground,  where  there  was  plenty  of  grass  for  the  animals, 
and  started  off  to  find  the  old  Mongolian  Chief  who  was  to 
provide  the  new  escort.  All  day  they  rode  and  at  last  reached 
a  hut  where  they  found  an  old  Mongolian  at  prayers.  He 
motioned  them  to  sit  down,  but  otherwise  continued  to  chant 
his  prayers  without  looking  up.  He  was  dressed  in  a  long 
dirty  robe  and  squatted  in  front  of  a  little  stool,  his  Buddhist 
Bible  in  hand  ;  he  wore  large  round  spectacles  and  his  head 
was  shaven  but  dirty.  The  guide,  on  entering  the  tent, 
solemnly  bent  his  head  until  it  touched  the  book,  waited  until 
the  old  Lama  placed  his  hand  upon  his  head,  then  rose  and 
took  his  place  by  the  fire.  After  a  considerable  time  the 
priest  dropped  his  voice  into  a  low  murmur,  and  they  com- 
menced to  talk.  The  Mongohan  Chief  was  not  at  all  inclined 
to  help  Brooke,  but  after  some  little  conversation  he 
accepted  a  present  from  him  in  the  form  of  a  tin  of  Bryant 
and  May's  matches.  With  these  the  old  man  seemed  greatly 
delighted,  as  he  had  never  seen  "  self-giving  fire,"  as  he  called 
the  matches,  before,  and  he  played  about  with  them  like  a 
child.  He  was  a  fierce,  fat-looking  old  man,  much  like  the 
imagined  ogre  of  nursery  days.  A  large  pot  containing  two 
sheep's  heads  was  boiling  on  the  fire,  and  around  the  tents 
hung  quarters  of  frozen  mutton  and  rolls  of  suet,  also  an  old 
gun  carefully  wrapped  up  in  cloth  ;  just  behind  him  were 
a  number  of  young  goats,  tethered  by  strings.  Most  of  these 
had  light  blue  hair,  dainty  httle  beards,  and  were  really 
pretty  creatures. 

Eventually  the  old  Mongolian  consented  to  send  as  guide 
his  own  son,  a  fine-looking  boy,  who  was  to  escort  the  party 
as  far  as  Naichi,  where  they  were  to  get  another  guide  to 
take  them  on  to  Nagchuka.  Naichi  was  reported  to  be  ten 
days  south  of  Dachinpa. 

After  bidding  farewell  to  the  old  Lama,  who  held  the  rank 
29 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

of  local  chief,  they  started  out  to  retrace  their  steps  to  their 
own  camp.  In  some  way  the  guide  seemed  to  have  lost  his 
bearings,  and  after  travelling  some  time  did  not  come  out 
on  the  path  which  they  had  been  told  they  should  find.  The 
new  guide,  of  course,  was  not  to  join  them  until  next  morn- 
ing. Brooke,  feeling  the  guide  was  going  in  the  wrong 
direction,  told  his  boy  to  follow  him  and  they  struck  off  across 
the  plains  in  what  he  beheved  to  be  the  direction  of  the  camp. 
They  travelled  in  this  manner  due  east  until  they  reached 
the  river  upon  which  they  were  camped  ;  here  they  rested 
and  let  the  horses  drink,  when  the  boy  suddenly  cried  out, 
"  Look  over  there.  Master,  you  say  you  don't  beheve  in  the 
devil  ;  look  at  that."  Brooke  looked  round  and  saw 
a  very  curious  phenomenon,  similar  to  the  scene  which  Mr. 
H.  Savage  Landor  describes  having  seen  in  the  Himalayas 
only  in  a  more  remarkable  form  than  that  seen  by  Brooke 
on  this  occasion.  It  was  the  planet  Mars  having  a  kind  of 
game  of  hide-and-seek  with  the  other  stars,  a  very  extra- 
ordinary sight,  for  the  planet  leaped  up  to  an  angle  of  30 
degrees,  then  down  to  the  right,  and  disappeared  ;  then  up 
again  at  a  tangent,  now  glowing  bright  like  an  electric  arc 
lamp,  now  hke  a  little  star.  Brooke  and  his  boy  stood 
and  gazed  in  sheer  amazement.  Asked  if  he  was  frightened, 
all  the  boy  said  was,  "  I  hope  it  doesn't  come  closer.  Master." 
Brooke  told  him  that  he  would  explain  about  it  to  him 
later,  but  never  got  the  boy  to  believe  any  natural  explana- 
tion. The  planet  at  that  hour  was  just  rising,  and,  when 
they  first  saw  it,  was  behind  a  mountain  ;  but  the  different 
densities  in  the  atmosphere  reflected  it  in  various  directions, 
according  to  the  atmospheric  power  of  refraction  constantly 
changing  between  them  and  the  planet. 

After  this  experience  Brooke  and  his  boy  travelled 
up  the  river,  which  was  at  this  place  quite  a  foaming  torrent. 
The  boy  grumbled  very  much,  and  persisted  that  they  were 


Across  the  Tsaidam  and  on  to   Lhasa. 


going  in  the  wrong  direction.  At  daybreak  they  found 
themselves  within  two  miles  from  the  camp,  which  they  could 
see  from  the  summit  of  a  little  hill  on  which  they  then  stood, 
and  reached  it  at  7  a.m. 

The  guide  and  camel  driver  did  not  arrive  till  2  o'clock 
that  afternoon,  having  gone  many  miles  out  of  their  way. 

Their  new  guide  turned  up  in  the  evening,  and  on  January 
27th  they  started  for  Naichi. 

The  first  day  they  had  a  long  march  across  an  arid  plain, 
intermittent  with  sand,  quartz,  volcanic  rock  and  shingle, 
which  was  quite  destitute  of  any  kind  of  vegetation.  They 
crossed  over  a  small  pass  called  Kokstom,  which  was  quite 
difficult  for  camels  to  travel  over  because  of  the  narrowness 
of  the  road.  This  pass  could  easily  be  avoided  by  blasting 
away  a  little  of  the  rock  in  the  gorge  through  which  the  river 
flows.  They  succeeded  in  making  the  pass  without  any 
accident,  though  it  quite  frequently  happens  that  a  camel 
making  a  false  step  is  thrown  over  the  cliff  and  dashed  to 
pieces  on  the  rocks  in  the  gorge  below. 

They  at  last  reached  a  Mongol  encampment  at  Naichi 
in  a  terrific  dust  storm,  and  camped  there. 

It  was  a  barren  place,  where  there  was  little  grass  or  fuel 
with  which  to  build  a  fire. 

The  storm  calmed  down,  their  strange-looking  tent  at- 
tracted the  Mongols,  and  about  a  dozen  of  them  came  over 
to  call. 

They  chatted  about  the  journey  to  Nagchuka,  and  asked 
a  large  sum  to  guide  the  party  thither.  Brooke  offered 
50  taels,  saying  that  he  would  not  give  a  farthing  more  ; 
so  they  went  away  saying  as  usual  that  they  would  consult 
their  Buddha  about  it,  and  let  him  know  in  the  morning. 

The  natives  told  Brooke  about  some  wild  yak  that 
were  in  the  mountains  near  by,  and  next  day,  guided  by  an 
old    Mongol,    he    started    out    to    hunt    them.      Climbing    a 

31 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

precipitous  mountain,  the  granite  walls  of  which  towered  above 
the  camp,  he  approached  the  top  with  great  care,  as  the 
creatures  are  often  to  be  seen  grazing  under  the  summit  on 
the  opposite  side.  On  this  occasion,  however,  the\^  were 
not  there,  and  the  wind  blew  a  gale,  so  that  it  was  difficult 
work  to  make  way  round  some  of  the  cliffs  without  being 
blown  off,  and  only  those  who  have  stood  on  some  of  these 
high  peaks  on  the  roof  of  the  world  really  know  what  a  gale 
in  Tibet  means.  By  resting  his  telescope  on  a  rock  and 
searching  the  valley  and  further  mountain  side  Brooke  was 
able  to  pick  out  fifteen  yaks  grazing  on  the  slopes  at  the  other 
end  of  the  valley.  He  and  his  party  at  once  set  out,  and 
for  four  hours  scrambled  over  rocks  and  boulders,  keeping 
under  cover  that  they  might  not  be  sighted  by  their  game. 
On  reaching  a  grassy  knoll,  which  Brooke  decided  was 
near  w^here  he  had  seen  the  brutes  feeding,  they  stopped  to 
rest  and  look  carefully  about.  The  old  Mongol  hunter  took 
out  his  rosary,  muttered  something,  counted  his  beads  by 
fives,  and  twisting  the  beads  put  them  to  his  lips.  This 
was  repeated  live  times,  while  Brooke  sat  almost  frozen 
in  the  piercing  wind.  At  last  the  old  prophet  predicted  a 
successful  ending  to  their  arduous  stalks,  but  the  prophecy 
had  yet  to  be  fulfilled,  so  they  crept  on  carefully,  and  as  they 
reached  the  top  of  the  knoll  they  heard  stones  ratthng  and 
a  great  yak  came  tearing  up  the  other  side  to  meet  them. 
When  he  was  wdthin  200  yards  Brooke  let  him  have  it 
just  behind  the  shoulder.  The  yak  turned  down  the  valley 
a  short  distance,  then  stumbled  and  fell  over  a  granite  rock, 
where  they  found  him  dead. 

The  poor  old  yaks  have  none  of  the  quick  instinct  of  wild 
animals  generally  ;  they  like  to  have  a  good  look  at  the  hunter 
before  they  make  any  attempt  to  get  away,  which  may  be 
due  to  the  fact  that  they  are  seldom  hunted  by  the  Tibetan 
or  Mongol.     When  once  they  do  show  the  white  flag  they 

32 


Across  the  Tsaidam  and  on  to   Lhasa. 

can  make  pretty  good  time,  for  a  short  distance  at 
least. 

On  returning  to  camp  Brooke  was  informed  that  a 
Mongol  would  escort  him  to  Nagchuka,  if  two  camels  were 
added  to  the  50  taels  offered  by  the  foreigner. 

There  seemed  no  way  out  of  it,  and  as  it  was  winter  time 
and  the  passes  would  be  difficult,  Brooke  agreed  to  the 
demand  on  condition  that  the  guide  led  them  safely  through 
the  desolate  track  of  country  that  lay  before  them,  and  to 
the  famous  monastery  many  days  to  the  south. 

So  on  March  6th  they  left  Naichi,  and,  after  travelling  only 
thirty  li  (ten  miles)  the  first  day,  had  to  pitch  their  tent  in  a 
terrific  storm,  which  almost  tore  it  to  pieces,  and  would  have 
done  so  had  they  not  taken  it  down,  and  waited  till  the 
storm  abated  a  little. 

The  following  day  they  crossed  over  a  small  pass  15,000  feet 
above  sea-level  and  came  down  into  the  valley  of  the  Dichu, 
or  Drichu.  The  Dri  River  flows  past  Batang,  and  is  known 
below  that  point  as  the  Chinshachiang  (river  of  golden 
sand)  ;  but,  after  it  has  been  joined  by  a  number  of  tribu- 
taries between  Batang  and  Hsuchowfu,  is  known  after  Hsu- 
chowfu  as  the  Yangtzechiang,  or  Yantze  River.  But  there 
is  no  doubt  that  the  Dichu,  or  Dri  River,  is  the  main  tributary 
of  the  Yangtze,  which  is  fed  from  the  famous  chain  of  lakes 
surrounding  the  west  Kokochili  range.  These  lakes  are 
over  16,000  feet  above  sea-level,  as  stated  by  Captain  Wellby 
and  Dr.  Sven  Hedin. 

Where  Brooke  crossed  the  Dichu  the  valley  was  about 
four  mile?  wide,  but  only  inhabited  by  wild  beasts.  His 
men  were  stricken  with  mountain  sickness,  and  thought 
they  were  going  to  die  ;  the  Shanghai  boy  gave;  uj)  entirely, 
and,  letting  his  horse  go,  lay  down  on  a  sand  hill  in  utter 
despair.  Brooke  had  to  set  him  on  his  horse,  but  he 
fell    helplessly    off.     Placed    on    the    pony    anew    with    the 

(1 1243)  3o  D 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

promise  of  a  good  thrashing  if  he  fell  off,  the  boy  succeeded 
in  sticking  to  his  pony,  but  Brooke  knew  from  experience 
that  when  a  Chinaman  makes  up  his  mind  that  he  is  going 
to  die  he  is  the  most  helpless  object  imaginable. 

The  following  day  they  marched  up  the  valley  in  a  heavy 
snowstorm  and  camped  in  two  feet  of  snow,  with  not  a  blade  of 
grass  for  the  poor  animals,  who  had  found  it  heavy  work 
tramping  through  the  deep  snow  all  day. 

In  the  morning  it  was  still  snowing  and  they  were  in  abso- 
lute misery  ;  the  Chinese  refused  to  turn  out  of  their  fur 
sleeping  bags  ;  there  was  not  a  stick  of  fuel  anywhere  to 
cook  a  bite  of  food  or  heat  a  drop  of  water. 

Brooke  pulled  them  out  of  bed,  however,  to  make 
them  pack  the  camels.  The  old  guide  picked  out  his  two 
camels,  or  the  two  he  would  like  to  have  had,  and  started 
toward  home  ;  but  Brooke  noticed  him  in  time  and  made 
him  bring  them  back. 

Six  of  the  animals  wandered  off  and  Brooke  had  to 
go  after  them  himself,  as  the  men  all  refused  to  do  anything. 

On  bringing  the  animals  back  Brooke  again  pulled  his 
boys  out  of  their  beds,  and  finally  they  got  started.  That 
night  they  found  a  camping  place  where  the  snow  was  not 
so  deep,  and  the  animals  were  able  to  scratch  up  a  little 
grass. 

They  marched  all  the  next  day  over  a  plain  ;  the  wind 
kept  gaining  in  force  all  the  morning  until  ii  a.m.  The 
gale  was  running  at  fifty  or  sixty  miles  per  hour,  sweeping  the 
sand  and  snow  before  it  in  a  great  cloud,  even  lifting  small 
pebbles  and  lashing  them  against  their  faces.  Great  care 
was  needed  in  holding  the  caravan  together  and  in  keeping 
their  bearings,  for  if  they  got  separated  for  fifty  yards  the}^ 
would  be  doomed,  as  the  trail  was  completely  obliterated 
in  places,  and  it  was  impossible  to  see  or  even  hear  a  call 
for  fifty  yards.     The  temperature  was  5   degrees   below   zero 

34 


(1 1 243) 


Across  the  Tsciidam  and  on   to   Lhasa. 

at  9  a.m.,  and  with  such  a  gale  blowing  it  felt  more  like  20 
degrees  below  zero. 

To  keep  the  party  together  the  animals  were  all  attached 
by  a  line  ;  it  was  impossible  to  do  more  than  a  rough  tracing 
of  the  route  followed  that  day. 

They  camped  that  night  in  the  slielter  of  a  sand  hill. 
Brooke  went  out  in  search  of  a  grass  plot,  on  which  the  animals 
might  find  something  to  eat,  for  where  their  camp  was  there 
was  nothing  but  drifting  sand.  While  out  on  this  quest  his 
fur  cap  was  blown  away  and  carried  off  like  a  balloon  ;  it 
fell  on  a  frozen  pond,  he  pursued  it,  and  on  stepping  on  the 
ice  he  was  swept  to  the  other  side  as  if  he  were  on  an  ice  sled. 
His  cap  turned  on  its  edge  and  went  racing  along  hke  a  minia- 
ture bicycle,  and  if  it  had  not  caught  in  a  bush  about  a  mile 
further  on,  it  is  not  likely  he  would  ever  have  seen  it  again. 

In  this  country  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  the  tent 
was  erected,  for  the  pegs  were  useless  in  the  loose  sand,  and 
the  grain  bags  were  used  to  hold  the  sides  of  the  tent  down  ; 
they  were  also  made  use  of  as  snubbing  posts  for  the  tent 
ropes.  If  the  party  was  roughing  it,  so  were  the  animals. 
The  search  for  fodder  was  fruitless,  and  the  party  had  to 
share  with  them  some  of  the  grain  they  were  carrying,  but 
as  there  was  yet  a  long  journey  before  them  it  had  to  be  doled 
out  very  carefully. 

In  the  morning  it  was  much  calmer,  and  they  got  under 
way  early.  By  9  o'clock  it  commenced  to  blow  again,  as  it 
did  almost  every  day  of  the  journey  across  this  barren  ex- 
panse. The  camels  seemed  to  know  tliat  it  was  worse  on 
before,  and  again  and  again  tried  to  turn  back.  They  were 
getting  thinner  day  by  day,  and  it  was  really  wonderful  how 
they  kept  up  in  such  weather  with  so  little  to  eat.  Indeed, 
they  proved  themselves  to  be  much  more  hardy  than  is  gener- 
ally supposed,  and  not  only  able  to  stand  the  heat  on  sandy 
plains,  but  also  to  endure  the  intense  cold,  without  any  pro- 

37 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

lection  from  the  fierce  blasts  that  prevail  in  such  elevated 
regions. 

One  of  the  men  became  so  ill  that  the  caravan  had  to  be 
stopped  for  three  days.  On  March  17th  they  packed  him  up 
in  his  bedding  and  tied  him  on  a  camel.  He  was  then  still 
very  ill,  but  v^^as  soon  all  right  again. 

The  wonderful  thing  about  this  bleak,  barren  country  is 
that  although  the  wind  is  driving  at  from  fifteen  to  forty 
miles  an  hour  there  is  a  clear  blue  sky,  if  the  dust  will  allow 
it  to  be  seen. 

They  met  a  Mongol  caravan  with  800  camels  on  their  way 
to  China  ;  Li,  who  was  still  ill,  was  sent  back  with  them. 
Brooke  paid  him  his  wages  and  gave  him  25  taels  for  the 
expense  of  the  return  journey,  which  caused  a  murmur  in 
his  camp,  for  they  said,  "  Why  give  a  sick  man  25  taels  to 
return  ?  "  The  Tibetan  and  Chinese  custom  is  to  leave  any 
person  who  shall  fall  by  the  wayside  to  die  or  recover,  as 
the  gods  may  design,  and  in  such  a  cruel  country  as  this  to 
die  is  the  only  fate  of  any  one  dropping  out  of  a  caravan. 

They  crossed  the  Dungbure,  which  is  16,700  feet  above  the 
sea,  with  httle  delay,  commencing  their  march  at  8  a.m. 
and  pitching  camp  at  4  p.m.  They  experienced  little  diffi- 
culty, although  this  is  the  highest  pass  on  the  journey  between 
Sining  and  Lhasa.  On  the  top  was  the  usual  obo  or  pile  of 
stones,  in  which  were  erected  poles,  and  to  these  were  attached 
prayer  flags.  Many  of  them  hung  in  rags  from  their  con- 
stant flapping  in  the  breeze. 

The  top  of  the  pass  was  quite  flat.  On  the  south  side, 
some  distance  from  the  top,  Brooke  found  hot  springs 
gushing  out  of  the  frozen  earth.  The}^  also  caught  several 
small  fish,  which  were  identically  the  same  as  some  secured 
at  Baram  Tsaidam.  The  formation  of  the  Dungbure  range 
was  found  to  be  similar  to  that  surrounding  the  Tsaidam, 
i.e.,  red  sandstone  over  a  very  hard  limestone  conglomerate. 


Across  the  Tsaidam  and  on  to   Lhasa. 


only  in  addition  there  were  several  volcanic  spurs  in  sight, 
their  jagged  outline  giving  even  a  more  barren  aspect  than 
the  sloping  sandstone. 

At  about  16,000  feet  above  sea-level  they  sighted  the  first 
Tibetan  tent,  pitched  in  a  sheltered  nook,  and  some  miles 
further  on  there  was  a  number  of  tents,  and  hundreds  of 
sheep  and  yak  grazing  on  the  slopes. 

The  people  were  ragged  and  unkempt,  with  long,  shaggy 
hair  hanging  down  their  backs  ;  the  women  were  very  small, 
and  the  men  not  over  5  feet  6  inches  in  height.  They  be- 
longed to  Egla  tribe,  and  live  the  whole  year  round  at  an 
altitude  of  from  14,000  to  16,000  feet  above  the  sea-level, 
which  may  account  for  their  low  stature.  They  are  said 
to  be  brigands,  but  Brooke  found  those  whom  he  met 
quietly  attending  to  their  own  herds.  In  the  country  directly 
south  he  found  a  great  deal  of  granite  containing  large  crystals 
of  felspar  several  inches  in  length,  and  the  large  jagged  boulders 
reminded  him  of  some  parts  of  Scotland. 

Brooke's  old  horse  at  last  gave  in,  and  had  to  be  left 
on  the  road  ;  he  was  given  to  a  Tibetan,  who  promised  to 
care  for  him  if  he  survived. 

They  reached  the  valley  of  Nagchuka  on  April  loth  and 
found  the  people  friendly.  There  were  robbers  roaming 
about  who  were  supposed  to  come  from  a  district  six  marches 
to  the  east ;   one  Mongolian  caravan  had  lost  forty  horses. 

While  they  were  camped  in  a  pleasant  place  in  good  pas- 
tures, an  old  Tama  called  and  warned  Brooke  that  if  he 
proceeded  two  days  further  south  he  would  be  stopped  at 
the  monastery  there,  but  that  if  he  liked  he  could  give  him 
a  guide  who  would  take  him  to  Gyantse  by  a  road  which  led 
all  the  way  through  the  country  of  the  Tashi  Lamas,  who 
were  friendly  to  the  English.  Brooke  feared  the  old 
man  was  trying  to  deceive  him,  and  insisted  on  going  on  to 
Nagchuka  Comba. 

39 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

They  moved  on  next  day  and  arrived  at  the  borders  of  the 
territory  directly  governed  from  Lhasa,  where  they  camped. 
In  the  evening  a  number  of  horsemen  rode  up  with  two  well- 
dressed  Tibetans  in  the  party.  They  all  dismounted  close 
to  his  tent.  Two  Turkish  rugs  were  spread  on  the  ground 
for  them  to  sit  on.  Brooke  walked  over  to  them  but 
was  not  invited  to  join  the  party,  so  he  invited  them  over 
to  his  tent.  They  refused  his  invitation  but  beckoned  him 
to  be  seated,  and  he  sat.  They  asked  him  where  he  was 
bound  for,  and  after  he  told  them  he  was  bound  for  India 
he  learned  that  the  two  guests  referred  to  were  representatives 
of  the  Lhasa  Government ;  one  was  a  Lama  and  the  other 
a  District  Magistrate,  both  from  the  monastery  at  Nagchuka. 

The  Magistrate  was  a  pleasant  looking  man,  wearing  a 
beautiful  turquoise  ear-ring  set  in  gold  ;  the  ring  was  about 
four  inches  long.  His  hair  was  parted  in  the  middle,  and  a 
neat  plait  bordered  the  hair  on  the  forehead.  His  pigtail 
was  neatly  wound  on  the  top  of  his  head.  He  wore  a  Man- 
darin's fur  cap,  a  blue  silk  hood  and  velvet  boots,  and  gener- 
ally his  dress  was  very  similar  to  that  of  a  Chinese  Mandarin. 

The  Lama  who  sat  opposite  was  anything  but  pleasant  ; 
his  httle  eyes  showed  a  keen,  cruel  look,  and  his  head  was 
clean  shaved.  He  wore  a  Lama's  garb  that  was  quite  smart 
looking,  and  he  was  really  of  higher  rank  than  the  Magistrate. 

A  gigantic  Tibetan  stood  beside  them  who  wore  a  look  as 
if  he  might  be  the  chief  executioner  ;  he  was  dressed  in  a 
roomy  blue  cloak,  bordered  and  lined  with  leopard  skin. 

The  Magistrate  and  Lama  stated  that,  as  this  road  on  which 
Brooke  was  travelling  led  to  Lhasa,  the  party  must  proceed 
no  further  until  they  had  received  permission  from  the  "  Holy 
City." 

On  leaving  they  promised  a  definite  direction  next  morning, 
which  meant  that  they  were  going  to  discuss  the  matter  in 
the  monastery  ;  and  after  a  friendly  farewell  they  left  the  camp. 

40 


CHAPTER   IV. 

How  He  was  Turned  Back. 

After  the  formal  fashion  associated  with  the  state  visits  of 
potentates  on  aUen  soil,  Mr.  Brooke  that  evening  returned  his 
visitors'  call,  taking  each  of  them  a  present.  One  received 
a  cheap  watch  and  the  other  a  Ningsha  rug.  The  watch 
caused  some  jealousy,  as  they  both  wanted  it. 

At  10  o'clock  next  day  no  reply  had  come  as  to  their  decision, 
and  the  interpreter  was  sent  up  to  the  monastery  to  find  out 
what  had  caused  the  delay.  He  returned  without  an  answer, 
so  the  order  was  given  to  pack  the  camels.  This  was  no 
sooner  done  than  a  party  of  Tibetans  came  along  and  unpacked 
them  again.  Mr.  Brooke  then  went  up  to  the  monastery  himself 
to  find  out  why  the  Lama  and  the  Magistrate  had  not  sent 
word  as  promised.  He  was  told  that  they  were  waiting  for 
another  Mongol  Prince  to  come  and  dehberate  with  them. 
His  hosts  were  quite  civil  and  asked  the  foreign  visitor  to  be 
seated.  While  they  talked,  a  tall  man  with  black  whiskers, 
sharp  eyes,  and  rather  a  hooked  nose,  came  in.  They  all 
bowed  low  as  he  entered.  His  bearing  and  looks  bore  evidence 
that  he  was  not  only  a  man  of  authority,  but  also  a  man  of 
firmness  of  character  and  quiet  decision. 

The  conversation  of  the  previous  day  was  all  repeated, 
and  the  answer  again  was  "  Wait  a  little,"  with  which  Brooke 
had  to  depart  content.  At  3  o'clock  in  the  afternoon. 
Lama  and  Magistrate  appeared  at  the  tent,  bringing  presents 
consisting  of  butter,  flour  and  rice.  These  Brooke  refused 
to  accept  until  he  had  got  an  answer,  and  was  told  that  he 

41 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


"  must  not  go  south  to  Lhasa  but  west  and  then  to 
Gyantse."  To  this  Brooke  agreed,  seeing  that  they  were 
most  emphatic  on  the  point. 

From  this  place  the  old  guide  from  Naichi  now  went  back, 
getting  65  taels  and  one  camel  as  his  wages.  One  of  the  boys 
went  back  with  him,  so  that,  of  the  original  party,  only  the 
Shanghai  boy,  the  cook  from  Sining,  and  Brooke  himself 
were  left. 

They  were  just  preparing  to  start  when  a  caravan  arrived 
from  Sining,  conveying  two  Chinese  Mandarins  to  Lhasa. 
Their  caravan  consisted  of  100  camels  and  50  horsemen. 
They  pitched  their  tent  near  by,  so  Brooke's  party  did  not 
start  that  day,  as  the  guide  was  afraid  to  join  them  until  the 
Mandarins  passed  on. 

The  Chinese  party  cleared  out  the  next  morning,  and  Brooke 
struck  camp  a  httle  later.  The  guide  took  them  round  by 
a  very  rough  road  on  which  they  lost  one  camel,  and  now 
they  entered  a  thickly  populated  district,  where  they  were 
soon  followed  by  small  bodies  of  horsemen. 

The  country  consisted  of  wide  valleys,  covered  with  good 
grass,  on  which  large  flocks  of  sheep  and  cattle  were  grazing. 
After  travelling  about  300  h  (between  forty  and  fifty  miles), 
Brooke  and  his  party  found  themselves  surrounded  by  about 
100  Tibetan  horsemen,  riding  long-haired,  tough  little  ponies. 
They  pitched  their  tents  all  round  Brooke's  camp,  but  were 
quite  civil. 

Next  morning,  when  Mr.  Brooke  began  packing  his  camels, 
two  of  the  Tibetans  came  forward  and  said  they  had  been 
sent  from  Nagchuka  Comba  to  stop  them  until  they  had 
heard  from  Lhasa.  Brooke  paid  no  attention  to  them  and 
continued  to  pack,  when  some  of  the  liorsemen  seized 
Senerh,  the  cook,  by  the  arm,  and  so  frightened  him  that 
he  sat  down  and  refused  to  help.     Brooke  judged  it  prudent 

to  halt. 

42 


How   He  was  Turned   Back. 


After  waiting  here  for  six  days,  when  I  suppose  the  gods 
must  have  sent  the  Tibetans  a  wireless  message,  Brooke 
was  definitely  informed  that  he  must  go  back. 

It  seemed  to  be  a  deadlock.  Mr.  Brooke  and  his  party  were 
completely  outnumbered  and  to  resist  would  have  been  fatal ; 
and  now  he  wished  that  he  had  taken  the  old  Lama's  advice,  or 
had  got  away  before  the  Chinese  caravan  came  along. 

There  was  nothing  else  for  it  now  but  gracefully  to  give  in 
and  try  in  some  other  way  to  surmount  the  difficulty  later  ; 
but  the  thought  of  having  to  traverse  the  barren  track  of 
country  with  thin  and  worn-out  camels  was  not  a  very  en- 
couraging prospect,  and  the  greatest  disappointment  of  all 
was  that  the  cherished  hope  of  reaching  the  headwaters  of 
the  Brahmaputra  seemed  doomed,  and  that  after  overcoming 
so  many  obstacles.  Brooke's  one  crumb  of  comfort  was  that 
his  Tibetan  guide  from  Nagchuka  said  that  he  would  stick 
to  him  as  he  had  received  25  taels  in  advance. 

A  body  of  sixteen  horsemen  escorted  Mr.  Brooke  over  the 
Tangla  Pass,  where  they  left  him,  and  returned  to  Nagchuka. 
After  continuing  another  day's  journey  north,  he  turned  west, 
hoping  to  be  able  to  evade  the  guarded  district,  and  once 
more  made  his  way  south  ;  but  after  travelling  200  li  he  was 
stopped  again.  He  now  went  up  the  bank  of  the  Dichu, 
and  crossed  the  Dungbure  range  by  a  small  road  on  the  other 
side  of  the  range  ;  there  was  difficulty  in  finding  the  main 
road,  but  finally  this  Was  hit  on.  Overtaking  a  return  caravan 
from  Lhasa,  he  made  friends  with  the  Mongolians  in  charge, 
who  agreed  to  carry  part  of  his  baggage,  as  his  camels  were 
almost  worn  out. 

Brooke  was  able  to  shoot  some  game  each  day,  quite  suffi- 
cient, to  their  great  dehght,  to  keep  his  party  in  meat.  He 
had  many  lonely  tramps  after  bear,  wild  yak  and  other  game 
that  made  its  appearance  along  their  line  of  march. 

One  by  one  his  camels  died  off,  for  the  long  journey  and 

43 


Sport  and   Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

poor  grazing,  together  with  the  intense  cold  on  the  passes, 
had  made  them  very  weak. 

Mr.  Brooke  writes  as  follows  about  these  losses  : — "  I  have 
not  said  much  about  losing  the  animals,  to  me  it  is  all  too 
sad  to  think  of  again.  I  regret  having  lost  even  the  rudest 
spitting  camel,  and  it  was  a  great  grief  to  me  to  see  the  brave 
old  beasts  that  had  stuck  to  me,  till  so  near  the  end  of  my 
journey,  fall  out  of  the  ranks.     Our  three  young  camels  are 


WOMEN    WEAVING   TIBETAN    CLOTH. 


still  strong,  but  only  one  of  them  is  in  really  good  condition  ; 
he  now  has  to  carrv  a  heavy  load  to  help  the  others.  We 
have  still  four  of  the  original  horses  taken  from  Tankar,  but 
I  was  always  doubtful  whether  Senerh  would  ever  get  his  back 
to  China  again.  He  had  been  ailing  very  much  of  late,  but 
was  a  splendid  dear  little  beast  whose  pluck  might  have  saved 
him ;  but  five  days  before  reaching  the  Mongol  pasture  lands 
he  began  to  give  in,  and  could  scarcely  keep  up  to  the  caravan. 

44 


How   He  was  Turned   Back. 


At  last  he  stopped,  shut  his  eyes,  his  whole  body  began  to 
quiver,  and  only  with  a  great  effort  would  he  keep  firm  on 
his  four  wiry,  weary  little  legs.  Taking  the  saddle  off  and 
wrapping  a  rug  around  him,  we  got  him  a  mile  farther,  where 
there  was  good  grass.  I  kissed  his  soft  little  nose  and  there 
we  left  him.  I  hope  he  died  not  too  cruelly.  I  had  shot  all 
the  other  animals  before  leaving  them,  but  this  one  I  thought 
might  live.  I  feel  as  though  I  would  rather  have  lost  both 
my  Chinamen,  considering  how  inconsistent,  unfeehng  and 
cowardly  they  both  were,  compared  with  this  fine  little  beast, 
which  had  carried  a  man  for  six  months  without  either 
baulking,  biting  or  kicking,  his  ears  always  talking  and  telling 
us  how  he  hoped  for  grass  and  rest,  a  hope  that  only  left  him 
when  his  body  refused  to  obey  his  brave  little  heart.  My 
boy's  black  pony  was  another  of  the  same  stamp,  but  he, 
thank  God,  reached  a  nice  camp,  where  a  Mongohan  agreed 
to  look  after  him  and  bring  him  to  Sining  in  the  autumn." 

One  day  they  saw  some  antelope,  and  Brooke  went  after 
them,  but  the  snow  bhndness  from  which  he  had  been  suffering 
since  crossing  the  high  passes  still  troubled  him,  and  he  did 
not  succeed  in  getting  any  of  them.  He  dropped  out  of  the 
caravan  to  follow  them  up,  leaving  his  boy  to  hold  his  horse. 
When  he  returned,  they  had  both  disappeared,  and  he  walked 
35  h  and  still  could  not  find  the  camp.  Finally  he  found  an 
old  Mongol,  who  took  him  on  his  camel  to  the  place  where  the 
caravan  had  pitched  for  the  night. 

It  was  weary  work  tramping  back  over  the  same  road 
by  which  they  had  travelled  south  so  full  of  anticipation 
but  two  months  before.  On  May  22nd,  they  found  Li,  who 
had  been  sent  back  sick,  and  also  his  companion.  They  had 
put  up  for  two  months  in  a  little  hut  kept  by  an  old  China- 
man, who  had  a  Mongolian  wife.  The  coolie  now  joined  the 
caravan.  He  would  have  left  the  old  man  without  giving  him 
anything  for  keeping  him  all  this  time,  but  Brooke,  finding  this 

45 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

out,  gave  the  host  one  of  the  camels  which  was  badly  in  need 
of  a  rest  and  could  not  have  gone  much  further,  together  with 
10  taels  of  silver.  After  all,  the  boy  said  the  old  man  had 
saved  his  hfe. 

The  caravan  kept  together  as  far  as  the  Kokonor,  where 
part  of  it  went  to  Tankar.  The  other  part  went  north,  and 
Brooke  continued  with  them  through  a  salty  desert,  where 
the  salt  was  in  thick  cakes  on  the  ground.  The  path  was 
marked  by  slabs  of  this  salt  which  was  raised  on  end.      It  is 


^^i 

P...M 

^fl 

l^^' 

^^^^HPNIil^^ '  ^" 

,....JM 

"^=At/jtoW,^r . 

#ft 

1  AUAH-'f^i'- 

w'-i 

^  r\/  : '  »  -"^j^ffrnK 

m'-            i 

r  - 

i 

MR.  UROOKE  WITH  THE  CHINESE  CARAVAN. 


from  this  locahty  that  a  great  deal  of  the  salt  that  supplies 
Kamsu  is  exported,  being  carried  out  by  large  caravans  of 
yak  and  camels. 

This  salt  plain  was  about  twenty  miles  broad ;  of  course, 
neither  water  nor  grass  was  to  be  found  on  the  march.  Another 
forty  miles  north  brought  them  to  a  large  lake  with  thousands 
of  geese  and  ducks  floating  about  on  it,  and  here  they  camped. 
The  weather  was  quite  warm  now,  and  the  lake  would  soon 
be  swarming  with  young  ducks  and  goslings  and  many  other 

46 


How   He  was  Turned   Back. 


kinds  of  water  fowl.  Mr.  Brooke  wanted  to  shoot  some  of 
thern,  but  the  old  Mongolian  said  no ;  it  was  a  pity  to  shoot 
them  now,  when  they  were  nesting. 

These  Mongolians  are  a  strange  people  ;  they  are  kind  to 
animals,  are  rather  averse  to  stealing,  are  extremely  religious, 
believe  it  is  wrong  to  tell  a  lie,  and  yet  are  always  indulging 
in  that  habit. 

After  another  four  days'  march  the  party  reached  the 
home  of  the  old  Mongohan  with  whom  they  had  been  travelhng. 
His  daughter  was  the  first  to  meet  him,  and  ran  the  last  lOO 
yards,  throwing  her  arms  around  his  neck.  The  mother  did 
not  trouble  to  dismount  from  her  camel  to  greet  her  step 
daughter.  When  they  got  to  the  tent  the  Mongol's  old  sister 
came  out  and  kissed  her  brother's  hand  again  and  again 
while  tears  of  joy  rolled  down  her  cheeks.  "  A  funny  custom 
to  cry  at  meeting  one's  brother,"  grunted  the  Chinaman  from 
Sining.  The  old  woman  had  heard  that  her  brother  had  been 
killed,  and  the  joy  at  seeing  him  again  brought  the  tears  to 
her  eyes. 

On  the  hills  and  mountains  in  the  neighbourhood  was  to 
be  found  plenty  of  ovis  ammum  and  wild  ponies.  Mr. 
Brooke  shot  one  very  fine  specimen.  His  eyes  were  still 
troubling  him,  or  he  might  have  bagged  more. 

After  a  great  deal  of  discussion  and  bargaining  with  the 
people  of  the  district,  he  secured  four  good  horses  in  exchange 
for  his  few  surviving  and  worn-out  camels.  The  catching  of 
the  ponies  was  the  occasion  of  much  merriment.  The  people 
from  the  surrounding  tents  were  all  invited  and  men  and 
women  turned  out.  After  the  ceremony  of  tea-drinking  was 
over,  the  herd  was  surrounded  and  driven  up  near  the  camp  ; 
then  by  means  of  a  long  rope  which  was  encircled  around  the 
bunch,  the  ponies  were  crowded  together  and  one  by  one 
caught  and  tethered  to  a  line  pegged  out  for  the  purpose. 

They  succeeded  in  catching  all  but  one  little  red  brute, 

47 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


which  Brooke  had  set  his  heart  on,  and  which  jumped  the 
hne  and  broke  through  the  circle  and  got  away.  They  kept 
the  rest  tied  up,  but  this  one  galloped  about  until  he  got  tired, 
then  came  in  and  stood  with  the  others.  Later  they  succeeded 
in  getting  the  rope  round  him,  and  a  clever  little  horseman 
threw  a  noose  over  his  nose  and  got  hold  of  him. 

After  patting  and  quieting  him  for  an  hour,  they  announced 
that  he  was  readv  to  be  ridden.     He  had  never  before  had 


THE   NAICHI    GUIDE   WAITING    FOR    HIS    KETTLE    TO    BOIL. 


any  one  on  his  back  and  they  would  not  put  on  a  saddle,  so 
Mr.  Brooke  mounted  bare-backed.  As  soon  as  the  pony  felt 
the  weight  of  his  rider  he  shot  into  the  air,  his  neck  down  and 
his  back  arched ;  at  the  third  buck  he  succeeded  in  dislodging 
his  rider.  A  bridle  and  saddle  were  now  brought,  and  when 
all  was  ready  Brooke  again  mounted,  while  an  interested 
crowd  looked  on.  The  pony  made  six  successive  bucks,  then 
galloped  off.  After  about  a  three-mile  gallop  the  pony  was 
brought  to  a  walk,  and  again  tried  to  buck,  bounding  into  the 

4S 


How   He  was  Turned   Back. 


air,  then  bucking  to  the  ground,  and  this  he  repeated  twelve 
times.  At  the  twelfth  phmge  Brooke  went  off,  but  as  the  long 
tethering  rope  was  dragged  rapidly  through  his  hand  he  gripped 
it  tight  at  the  knot,  and  brought  the  animal  down. 

Remounting  immediately,  he  put  off  at  another  gallop, 
and  this  time  brought  the  pony  home  quite  tame. 

Finally  they  got  all  the  ponies  fitted  out  with  bridles  and 
pack  saddles  and  made  a  start,  but  the  ponies,  used  to  free- 
dom and  new  to  the  business  of  carrying  a  load,  were,  to  say 
the  least,  frisky. 

The  boy  Senerh  was  to  ride  one  animal  and  lead  the  pack 
animals,  which  were  all  attached  by  a  leading  rope.  He  tied 
his  little  bundle,  which  a  Chinaman  always  carries  when  on 
the  road,  to  the  back  of  the  saddle,  and  mounted,  but  when 
the  pony  felt  this  bundle  dangling  at  his  side  he  began  to 
kick  and  buck,  and  sent  the  boy  sprawling  on  the  ground; 
the  animals  all  stampeded,  and  the  baggage  was  scattered 
all  over  the  plain. 

They  succeeded  in  surrounding  the  ponies  again,  and  with 
much  difficulty  got  reloaded  and  made  a  fresh  start,  taking 
this  time  a  Mongohan  guide  and  horseman.  After  two  days' 
march  over  the  mountain  range  they  arrived  at  Uchumi, 
a  broad  valley  where  Mongol  flocks  were  grazing  on  the  plains. 
Large  packs  of  wolves  were  prowling  about  and  the  natives 
kept  ferocious  dogs  to  guard  the  flocks.  Wild  camels  were 
seen,  but  they  could  only  be  distinguished  by  being  longer 
in  the  legs  and  slimmer  in  the  body  than  the  tame  ones. 

The  first  town  they  reached  was  Chichen,  130  li  north-east 
by  east  from  Tamar  ;  here  they  found  trees,  plenty  of  grass 
and  fresh  vegetables.  The  latter  were  most  welcome  to  men 
who  for  several  months  had  been  compelled  to  abstain  from 
a  vegetable  diet. 

They  passed  on  to  Suchow,  which  is  a  well-sized  walled  cit}', 
noted  for  its  giant  donkeys  and  mules ;   some  of  the  donkeys 

(1 1243)  49  E 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

reach  twelve  hands  and  the  mules  fifteen  hands  high.  Mr. 
Brooke  took  his  two  Chinese  servants  with  him  to  a  restaurant, 
and  they  all  enjoyed  a  good  Chinese  meal — meat,  fish,  buttered 
eggs,  chicken  with  plenty  of  good  rice,  all  cooked  in  Chinese 
fashion.  A  red  wine  made  from  dates  served  to  wash  them 
down,  and  the  two  servants,  at  least,  considered  that  they 
had  reached  civihsation  at  last,  although  this  is  one  of  the 
places  to  which  criminals  are  banished,  and  it  is  looked  upon 
by  the  inhabitants  of  most  of  the  other  provinces  as  being 
the  end  of  the  earth.  Kouwai,  that  is,  "  outside  of  the  mouth 
of  China,"  they  call  it. 

The  restaurant  was  the  smartest  one  in  Suchow,  and  the 
road  to  it  led  down  a  httle  filthy  narrow  street.  The  entrance 
led  through  the  kitchen,  where  two  cooks  were  busily  at  work 
over  four  hot  charcoal  fires,  which  burnt  in  a  large  mud  range 
built  in  a  semi-circle  and  all  in  one  piece. 

A  little  farther  on  they  passed  through  a  courtyard,  filled 
with  ducks  and  chickens,  which  wandered  about  amidst 
heaps  of  carrots  and  cabbages,  all  awaiting  their  turn  to 
be  prepared  for  the  pot.  After  treading  their  way  across 
this  dirty  courtyard,  with  some  care,  lest  they  should  step 
on  a  cabbage  leaf  and  find  themselves  sitting  on  the  dirt}^ 
cobble  stones,  they  entered  a  large  room,  at  the  farther  end 
of  which  they  found  a  party  of  well-dressed  Chinese.  Some 
sat  around  a  table  drinking  wine,  while  others  reclined  on 
benches  sucking  their  opium  pipes,  all  awaiting  their  dinner 
which  was  being  prepared  in  the  kitchen  at  the  entrance 
of  the  inn. 

This  is  the  Ritz  or  Carlton  of  Suchow,  and  the  best  Chinese 
dinner  put  up  in  the  place  would  consist  of  eight  or  ten  courses, 
and  for  a  table  of  eight  persons,  wine  included,  would  cost 
about  ten  shillings  for  the  whole  party. 

On  returning  to  his  inn  Brooke  found  that  Father  Assance 
had  just  called,  so  he  went  over  and  spent  a  very  pleasant 

50 


How   He  was  Turned   Back. 


evening  with  this  priest,  who  was  the  only  foreigner  in  the 
place,  his  sole  companion  a  Chinese  priest;  yet  priests  like 
Father  Assance  are  so  wrapped  up  in  their  work  that 
they  never  feel  lonely  and  never  look  forward  to  seeing 
the  land  of  their  birth  again,  but  live  and  die  with  their 
converts. 

Brooke  engaged  carts  to  carry  the  baggage  to  Lanchow, 
twenty-one  stages  to  the  south-east.  He  travelled  with  them 
as  far  as  Kanchow,  seven  stages,  then  went  south,  across  grass 
country,  where  he  found  large  herds  of  cattle  grazing,  but  the 
people  were  not  friendly.  Gold  was  being  washed  in  the 
river  beds  by  Mohammedans.  On  the  passes  and  slopes  he 
found  plenty  of  wild  flowers,  and  finally  reached  Sining  on 
July  ist,  where  he  found  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ridley,  who  again  gave 
him  a  hearty  welcome  to  their  home.  After  a  week's  rest 
he  continued  his  journey  to  Lanchow,  where  he  found  his 
carts  and  baggage  waiting  for  him.  He  spent  a  few  days  at 
the  China  Inland  Mission  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrews,  whom 
he  found  exceedingly  kind  and  hospitable,  even  though  he 
could  not  see  eye  to  eye  with  them  on  religious  subjects. 

Mr.  Brooke's  impression  of  missions  was  that  both  the 
Protestants  and  Roman  Cathohcs  were  doing  good  work  in 
China,  and  he  wrote  : — 

"  To  criticise  the  missionary  work  in  China  as  a  whole 
would  be  unfair  and  ungrateful  of  any  traveller,  for  he  receives 
endless  help  everywhere  from  these  good  people.  The  traveller 
from  his  short  stay  in  the  country  may  be  unable  always  to 
see  eye  to  eye  with  them,  but  what  they  do  they  believe  to 
be  for  the  best  interests  of  the  cause  they  represent. 

"  More  organisation  would  appear  to  be  needed  in  some 
directions.  What  great  things  might  be  accomplished  if 
England  would  carry  on  mission  work  with  as  much  enthusiasm 
as  she  carries  on  a  war  or  builds  battleships." 

From  Lanchow  he  took  mules  via  Tsinchow,  and  passing 
(11243)  51  ^  ^ 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


through  a  rough  rocky  country  joined  the  Kiahng  River 
at  Peishuikiang,  the  most  northerly  point  to  which  boats 
come,  which  is  250  miles  north  of  Chungking.  The  upper 
reaches  of  this  river  are  only  navigable  in  the  flood  season, 
and  to  Peishui  boats  come  for  wool,  hides  and  herbs,  which 
are  brought  from  Kansu  by  mule.  After  the  long  journey 
on  foot  and  horseback,  Brooke  found  it  very  pleasant  to  be 
once  more  in  a  Chinese  junk,  and  to  be  hurled  over  the  rapids 
and  through  great  gorges  where  the  river  had  cut  its  bed  in 
the  limestone  rocks,   and  rank  fohage  overhung  the  banks. 


KANSU   GIRLS   NEAR  SINING. 


He  was  rapidly  carried  on  down  through  the  cuhivated  lands 
of  Sechuan,  where  everything  was  teeming  with  life  and 
excitement.  When  passing  through  Kwangyuen  he  called 
at  the  Mission  Station  and  found  two  English  lady  missionaries 
at  work,  attending  to  a  crowd  of  patients  who  had  gathered 
to  be  treated  for  various  ailments  so  common  to  the  Chinese, 
and  was  greatly  interested  with  the  work  being  carried  on  by 
these  women  in  their  lonely  station. 

He  next  reached  Paoning,  where  he  called  on  Bishop  Cassels 
and  spent  some  pleasant  hours  with  the  Bishop,  of  whose  work 


How   Mc  was  Turned    Back. 


he  speaks  in  the  highest  terms,  as  he  does  also  of  the  medical 
work  which  is  carried  on  at  Paoning  by  Dr.  EHiott. 

Passing  rapidly  down  the  river,  for  it  was  in  high  flood, 
in  six  days  he  reached  Chungking,  which  he  describes  as  a 
dirty  city,  into  which  he  had  to  climb  up  a  long  stone  stair- 
case by  the  river  side  before  entering  the  gates.  The  roads 
are  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock  and  the  city  is  perched  on  the 
side  of  the  same. 

At  Chungking  Dr.  Wolfendale,  of  the  London  Mission,  kindly 
entertained  Brooke,  who  found  him  and  his  colleagues  most 
pleasant  people.  While  in  Chungking  he  met  most  of  the 
missionaries  stationed  there,  and  gave  a  lecture  on  his  experi- 
ences in  Tibet. 

From  here  he  hired  another  boat  to  Ichang.  I  met  him 
first  at  Wanhsien  on  his  way  down  and  again  at  Ichang  a 
httle  later. 

He  was  then  on  his  way  to  Japan  and  Corea  as  set  forth 
in  the  introductory  chapter.  With  that  journey  we  are  not 
concerned,  and  we  will  continue  our  story  from  Hankow, 
where  he  and  Mr.  Meares  started  together  on  that  long,  last 
journey  which  cost  him  his  life. 

I  have  written  this  outline  of  Mr.  Brooke's  Tibetan  journey 
from  a  report  he  sent  home,  and  hope  that  these  notes  will 
at  least  show  the  bravery,  determination  and  character  of  the 
man,  who,  for  the  sake  of  science,  left  home  and  comforts, 
and  endured  hardship  and  danger  without  a  murmur  or 
complaint. 

How  much  more  should  we,  who  believing  that  God  has 
called  us  to  go  to  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  world,  carrying 
with  us  the  everlasting  Gospel  of  Peace  on  earth  and  Goodwill 
toward  men,  be  ready  to  suffer  all  things  for  His  Name's 
sake. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Hankow  to  Chentu, 

It  was  from  Hankow  that  Brooke  and  Meares  actually  started 
on  their  journey.  After  spending  some  days  collecting  a 
few  remaining  necessaries  and  securing  another  servant, 
the  latter  started  off  at  daybreak,  January  i,  1908,  by  one 
of  the  little  river  steamers  that  runs  up  to  Ichang,  in  order 
to  hire  a  house-boat  to  take  them  up  the  river  as  far  as  Chung- 
ching.  Brooke  stayed  behind  at  Hankow  to  draw  some 
money  from  the  bank,  and  also  to  purchase  a  few  more  things 
when  the  shops  opened  after  the  New  Year  holiday. 

On  arriving  at  Ichang,  ]\Ieares  soon  secured  a  comfortable 
little  house-boat,  the  captain  of  which  agreed  to  take  them 
to  Chungching  in  twenty-one  days  for  100  taels,  or  about  £15. 
It  was  a  more  difficult  matter  to  satisfy  the  Englishmen  in 
charge  of  the  customs.  At  first  the  officials  insisted  upon 
their  producing  receipted  bills  for  all  their  instruments, 
cameras,  etc. ;  but,  as  our  travellers  had  not  these  bills  with 
them,  it  was  finally  agreed  to  accept  their  statement  that 
they  had  purchased  them  in  Shanghai  for  their  own  use. 
The  officials  insisted,  however,  on  their  having  a  permit,  for 
their  arms  and  ammunition,  from  the  Viceroy  of  the  Province. 
They  went  round  to  see  if  the  British  Consul  could  help  them 
in  obtaining  this,  but  he  had  gone  off  on  a  shooting  trip  and 
had  left  no  one  to  act  in  his  absence.  This  left  them  in  rather 
a  hole ;  but,  on  their  calling  on  the  officer  in  command  of  the 
gunboat,  he  kindly  telegraphed  to  the  Viceroy,  and  after 
some  days'  delay  they  finally  got  started. 

54 


Hankow  to  Chcntu. 


Having  a  small  boat  they  only  had  a  crew  of  twenty  men  ; 
some  of  the  larger  junks  have  crews  of  over  lOO  men.  The 
junks  are  propelled,  when  crossing  the  river,  by  oars  and 
sweeps,  and  if  the  wind  is  favourable  they  spread  large  sails 


C.    H.    MEARES   AS    HE    LEFT    HANKOW,    JAN. 


1908. 


which  carry  them  along  at  a  rapid  rate.  Wherever  the  banks 
allow,  they  are  towed  up  by  gangs  of  trackers,  harnessed  to 
the  end  of  a  long  rope  made  of  plaited  strips  of  bamboo.  These 
ropes  are  wonderfully  strong,  and  they  need  to  be,  for  the 
weight  of  a  heavily-laden  junk  at  the  end  of  a  rope  half  a 

55 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


mile  long  in  a  rushing  current  is  tremendous,  and  often  one 
may  see  a  large  gang  of  trackers  on  all  fours,  hanging  on  with 
their  hands  as  well  as  their  feet,  just  holding  their  own  or 
advancing  an  inch  at  a  time. 

After  leaving  Ichang  the  river  in  many  places  is  hemmed 
in  by  huge  cliffs  more  than  2,000  feet  high  on  both  sides, 
and  high  up  on  the  face  of  these  cliffs  a  tiny  path  has  been 
cut  out,  along  which  the  trackers  crawl.  This  is  very  dan- 
gerous work,  for,  if  the  junks  swerve  off  into  the  current, 
the  men  are  jerked  from  their  precarious  foothold  into  the 
river,  hundreds  of  feet  below.  There  are  several  bad  rapids 
where  the  river  comes  down  in  a  swirling  flood  full  of  whirl- 
pools. In  these  places  there  are  hundreds  of  extra  trackers, 
who  make  a  bargain  to  haul  the  junks  through.  If  the 
ropes  do  not  break  all  is  well,  but  if  there  is  a  flaw  in 
the  rope,  and  it  breaks  at  a  critical  moment,  the  junk 
is  swept  away  and  dashed  to  pieces  on  the  sharp  rocks. 
Our  travellers  were  unusually  fortunate,  and  came 
through  all  the  rapids  without  losing  a  rope,  and  tied  up 
at  Wanhsien  to  give  the  trackers  a  holiday  for  the  Chinese 
New  Year. 

Wanhsien  is  a  busy  town.  A  British  cruiser  was  stationed 
there.  Not  far  from  the  city  there  are  some  interesting 
deposits  of  the  bones  of  antidiluvian  animals.  These  were 
being  dug  up  by  the  Chinese  and  sold  for  medicine  on  the 
streets  of  Wanhsien. 

On  his  way  down  Brooke  spent  two  days  trying  to  get 
some  of  these  bones  as  specimens,  but  could  not  succeed 
in  getting  any  complete  parts,  such  as  a  leg  or  a  skull  or  a 
large  section  of  the  vertebrae.  The  teeth,  parts  of  the  jaw 
and  sections  of  the  legs  which  he  saw  went  to  prove  that  the 
animal  must  have  been  very  large,  but  he  could  not  make 
out  what  it  could  have  been.  The  Chinese  were  digging  all 
about  the  place,  and  had  already  carried  away  most  of  the 

56 


Hankow  to  Chentu. 


section  to  various  parts  of  China,  for  these  mysterious  bones 
commanded  a  high  price  as  medicine. 

Such  things  as  bears'  feet  and  heads  for  rheumatism  and 
stiff  joints,  deers'  horns  and  sinews  for  the  weakness  in  men, 
are  among  the  chief  remedies  of  the  Chinese  quack,  and  you 
will  hear  him  crying  out  on  the  streets,  as  he  offers  these 
medicines  for  sale,  that  there  is  nothing  like  them  for  a  weak 
or  sore  back,  and  all  the  other  ailments  that  the  Chinese  so 
frequently  suffer  from. 

Chungking  is  situated  at  the  junction  of  two  rivers — the 
Kialing,  which  flows  from  the  north,  and  here  joins  its  water 
with  that  of  the  Yangtze,  that  great  river  which  finds  its 
source  on  the  roof  of  the  world,  nearly  2,000  miles  north- 
west of  here. 

This  city,  therefore,  is  wedge-shaped,  and  built  on  the 
side  of  a  hill  which  at  its  highest  point  is  quite  500  feet ;  and 
the  widest  part  between  the  two  rivers  is  not  more  than  two 
miles,  so  that  the  houses  are  built  on  stone  abutments,  one 
above  the  other,  like  great  steps  in  a  staircase.  There  is  no 
difficulty  about  the  foundation,  as  that  is  of  solid  red  sand- 
stone. The  streets  are  narrow,  and  are  really  one  continuous 
staircase.  They  are  kept  in  a  continual  condition  of  slush 
by  the  water  carriers,  for  all  the  water  consumed  by  half  a 
million  people  has  to  be  carried  from  the  riverside  in  buckets 
suspended  from  a  carrying  pole.  As  the  carriers  wend  their 
way  up  the  long  line  of  stone  steps  there  is  naturally  a  con- 
stant splash  from  the  buckets.  To  make  it  worse,  Chungking 
is  like  London,  nearly  always  enveloped  in  fog,  so  that  there 
is  little  chance  of  the  streets  ever  getting  dried  up ! 

Although  Brooke  describes  it  as  the  most  dismal  city 
he  has  ever  seen,  yet  it  is  a  very  important  commercial  centre. 
It  is  the  most  westerly  open  port  in  China  and  has  a  foreign 
community  of  several  hundred  people,  including  the  Mari- 
time Customs  and  Post  Office  staff,  the  Bluejackets  and  the 

59 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

Missionaries.  The  British  have  three  gunboats,  the  French 
two,  and  the  Germans  have  one,  and  are  expecting  another 
soon  ;  while  the  Japanese  are  to  send  up  two.  Chungking 
has  many  waterways  as  well  as  overland  routes,  by  which  the 
various  imports  and  exports  are  conveyed  to  and  fro. 

Our  travellers  spent  two  days  making  preparations  for 
their  256-mile  march  to  Chentu,  and  all  their  things  had 
to  be  repacked  into  packets  of  50  lbs.  each,  two  bundles  of 
which  were  carried  by  a  coolie,  one  on  each  end  of  the  springing 
pole  which  the  Chinese  use  for  the  purpose. 

It  was  a  bright,  crisp,  sunny  February  morning  when  the 
caravan  wound  round  out  of  the  north  gate  of  Chungking. 
The  narrow  stone-paved  road  wound  among  fields  of  brilliant 
golden  mustard  and  grey-green  beans  in  flower  ;  their  scent 
was  indescribable. 

It  was  one  of  the  mornings  on  which  a  man  feels  it  is 
good  to  be  alive,  and  both  Brooke  and  Meares  scorned  their 
sedan  chairs  and  delighted  their  coolies,  who  were  glad  to 
see  them  walk  mile  after  mile,  day  after  day,  while  they  had 
only  to  carry  the  empty  chairs.  Yet  the  masters  felt  that 
they  had  the  best  of  the  bargain.  The  joy  of  the  start  at 
daybreak  and  the  long  march  through  these  scenes  and  scents 
more  than  repaid  the  energy  expended. 

The  oranges  and  orange-groves  !  Every  half-mile  along 
the  road  they  passed  a  heap  of  the  lovely  golden  balls,  still 
dewy  from  the  trees.  Large,  luscious,  loose-skinned  mandarin 
oranges — twelve  a  penny  or  sixteen  a  penny  if  you  give  the 
skins  back — and  other  delicacies,  huge  stalks  of  juicy  purple 
sugar  cane,  dripping  with  sweetness  and  only  costing  the 
fraction  of  a  penny  for  a  stick  four  feet  long.  In  the  cold  morn- 
ings, when  we  started  off  from  the  inns,  there  was  always  one 
man  waiting  outside  the  door  with  hot  sweet  wine  and  an 
egg  beaten  up  in  it,  and  another  with  hot  scones,  light  as  snow, 
and  with  a  lump  of  raw  sugar  in  tlio  middle.     These  refresh- 

60 


jy 


Hankow  to  Chentu. 


ments  may  not  sound  very  tempting,  but  taste  them  after 
a  good  walk  among  the  fields  on  a  frosty  morning,  and  you 
will  think  you  have  never  eaten  anything  so  good. 

The  towns  of  this  district  are  all  famed  for  their  crystallized 
fruits,  such  as  whole  oranges,  ginger,  Buddha  fingers,  apples, 
plums,  dates,  cherries  and  many  other  varieties.  If  the 
traveller  is  not  above  eating  the  food  of  the  country  he  can 
live  well  and  cheaply  here.  And  so  Brooke  and  Meares 
marched  along  day  after  day,  enjoying  every  hour,  and  rather 
proud  of  themselves  when  they  swung  into  an  inn  fresh  and 
hungry,  after  a  tramp  of  twenty-five  to  thirty  miles.  Yet 
they  owned  that  it  rather  took  away  their  conceit  when  their 
miserable  coolies,  carrying  over  loo  lbs.  on  their  shoulders, 
swung  in  behind  them,  also  smiling  and  hungry. 

They  passed  on  through  lovely  fertile  valleys,  then  up 
over  rolling  hills  covered  with  fir  trees  and  bamboo  grooves. 
All  along  the  road  they  met  numbers  of  coolies  carrying 
baskets  of  coal.  Brooke,  dropping  behind,  thought  he  would 
like  to  find  out  where  these  men  came  from,  and  followed 
up  one  of  the  coolies  who  was  returning  empty-handed. 
After  going  about  a  mile  from  the  road  he  came  to  a  shaft 
sunk  in  the  ground  where  a  Chinaman  was  turning  a  ven- 
tilating fan.  A  ladder  descended  into  the  bowels  of  the 
earth,  by  which  he  reached  the  main  shaft,  where  miners 
were  dragging  little  sledges  full  of  coal  along  a  gallery  five  feet 
broad  by  three  feet  high.  One  of  the  sledgemen  was  induced, 
for  a  small  tip,  to  pull  Brooke  along  the  gallery  on  his 
sledge,  and  did  so  for  some  distance,  till  the  seam  suddenly 
dipped  down  into  the  earth.  Here  he  bolted,  leaving  Brooke 
in  the  dark  on  the  edge  of  an  incline,  until  another  miner, 
with  a  lamp  in  his  hat  came  along,  and,  "tipped"  in  his 
turn,  allowed  Mr.  Brooke  to  hold  on  to  the  back  of  the  full 
sledge  which  he  was  dragging  out,  and  so  brought  him  safely 
from  the  shaft,  where  Brooke  was  greeted  by  a  friendly  crowd. 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

who  brought  him  hot  water  to  wash  his  hands.  The  coal 
was  of  a  splendid  quality,  the  mine  was  neat  and  clean  with 
timbered  and  whitewashed  walls,  and  the  Chinese  miners 
were  well-dressed  and  healthy-looking. 

Brooke  caught  up  with  Meares  and  they  had  breakfast. 
In  the  afternoon  it  began  to  rain  and  the  stone  road  which 
had  been  in  such  good  condition  for  walking  in  the  dry  weather 
became  like  a  sheet  of  ice. 

They  passed  several  duck  farms  on  the  road,  and  a  won- 
derful sight  they  were.  The  duck  farmer,  by  some  means, 
gets  thousands  of  ducks'  eggs  and  hatches  them  by  artificial 
heat.  As  soon  as  the  ducklings  are  a  few  days  old  he  drives 
them  out  in  the  fields  to  forage,  and  it  is  most  interesting 
to  watch  him  shepherding  a  flock  of  several  thousand  httle 
ducks  with  the  help  of  a  long  bamboo  rod. 

Some  of  the  farmers  were  beginning  to  prepare  the  fields 
for  planting  rice,  and  the  fields  which  a  few  days  ago  were 
covered  with  sun-burnt  bricks,  had  now  been  changed  into 
muddy  sloughs.  Scarcely  has  the  water  been  turned  on  the 
fields  than  the  fisherman  is  at  work,  wading  about  in  mud 
up  to  his  knees  and  with  very  little  on  but  his  hat.  He  carries 
in  his  hand  a  large  round  bamboo  basket  without  a  bottom. 
This  basket  he  suddenly  plunges  into  the  mud,  and  then 
feeling  round  inside  with  his  hand  he  draws  out  a  little  fish 
three  or  four  inches  long. 

Next  day  was  wet.  They  passed  a  string  of  coolies  carry- 
ing the  mails  from  Chentu  to  Chungking.  These  men  make 
wonderful  time,  averaging  sixty  to  eighty  miles  a  day,  while 
they  carry  bags  of  mail  averaging  from  50  to  60  lbs.  in  weight. 

Some  of  the  towns  they  passed  through  were  very  pic- 
turesque, and  were  all  decorated  for  the  Chinese  New  Year. 
One  in  particular  impressed  Brooke.  The  scheme  for  the 
decoration  of  the  whole  town  was  dark  red,  the  streets  were 
roofed  in  with  the  same  colour  and  were  lined  with  rows  of 

^4 


hinkovv  t(i   Chcntu. 


red  silk  lanterns.  The  inns,  too,  were  above  the  average, 
that  is  to  say,  they  were  as  good  as  a  poor  European  stable, 
instead  of  being  worse  than  a  bad  pigsty,  as  usually  they 
are. 

Near  here  they  met  strings  of  coolies  carrying  what  they 
thought  to  be  very  dirty  sandstone.  On  asking  them  where 
thev  were  taking  the  stones  they  replied  "  that  it  was  salt, 
and  that  the  blacker  it  was  the  better."  This  salt  is  obtained 
from  the  brine  wells  in  this  district,  and  these  wells  Brooke 
thought  were  one  of  tlie  most  wonderful  things  in  China. 
The  wells  are  about  six  inches  in  diameter,  and  some  of  them 
are  3,000  feet  deep.  They  are  drilled  out  by  a  steel  bar  slung 
on  the  end  of  a  long  bamboo  rope,  and  jerked  up  and  down 
by  a  cow,  and  you  may  imagine  they  take  many  years  to 
sink.  The  brine  is  drawn  out  of  these  wells  in  a  large  bamboo 
tube  with  a  valve  in  the  bottom  ;  this  is  lowered  into  the 
bottom  of  the  well,  and  when  full  is  raised  by  being  wound 
round  and  round  a  horizontal  drum  turned  by  water  buffaloes. 

Some  of  these  wells  give  off  natural  gas,  which  is  used  for 
illumination  and  for  evaporating  the  brine  into  salt.  A 
sight  of  these  wells  arouses  admiration  for  the  first  man  who 
sunk  one  of  them.  How  did  he  know  that  the  brine  was 
there  ?  Even  if  he  was  so  far  certain,  he  must  have  known 
that  it  would  not  be  reached  during  his  own  lifetime,  nor 
perhaps,  in  that  of  his  son.  Yet  there  the  wells  are,  for  all  to 
see,  and  the  blacker  and  dirtier  the  brine  the  more  valuable 
the  well,  for  the  Chinaman  thinks  that  white  salt  is  unhealthy, 
and  that  the  dark  colour  has  superior  medicinal  qualities. 

And  so  they  passed  along  through  the  fruit  district,  the 
sugar-cane  district,  over  mountain  passes  and  beautiful 
plains,  sometimes  following  the  river-bed,  sometimes  climb- 
ing hillsides,  and  over  stone  steps  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock. 
Everywhere  the  busy  farmer  was  to  be  seen  working  on  his 
farm  from  before  sunrise  till  dark,  with  a  short  interval  to 
(1 1243)  67  V  2 


sport  and   Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


eat  his  boiled  rice  and  pickled  turnip,  and  drink  a  cup  of 
tea.  Not  only  are  the  fields  in  the  valley  irrigated,  but  even 
the  hillsides  are  terraced  in  many  places  and  cisterns  are 
made  on  the  tops  of  the  hills,  which  are  filled  with  water 
during  the  rainy  season,  and  hold  it  most  of  the  year.  From 
these  cisterns  water  is  let  down  into  the  terraced  fields  on 
the  hillsides,  and  it  is  wonderful  how  they  keep  many  of  these 
small  fields  submerged  for  the  greater  part  of  the  year.  At 
last  they  ascended  a  mountain  about  2,000  feet  high  from 
its  base,  and  quite  5,000  feet  above  the  sea.  From  the  top 
of  the  pass  they  got  a  grand  view  of  the  Chentu  plain.  It 
looked  like  an  immense  forest,  for  the  whole  plain  was  covered 
with  trees,  and  large  feathery  bamboo  groves  enclosed  most 
of  the  farmhouses.  When  they  reached  the  plain  they  found 
that  it  was  simply  a  Garden  of  Eden.  Every  farmer  took  as 
much  pains,  in  working  up  and  fertilising  his  wheat  field,  as 
most  of  our  gardeners  in  Europe  or  America  do  their  vegetable 
plots,  when  catering  for  some  large  city  trade. 

The  Chinese  system  of  fertilising  may  not  be  a  very  pleasant 
one,  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  secret  of  their  success  as 
cultivators  of  the  soil  is  the  fact  that  they  let  no  particle  of 
fertiliser  go  to  waste,  and  use  it  in  a  liquid  condition.  Our 
farmers  in  England  have  here  a  great  deal  to  learn  from  the 
Chinese.  We  prefer  to  send  millions  of  dollars  worth  of 
the  richest  fertiliser  through  our  sewers  into  the  ocean  every 
year,  and  to  buy  our  wheat  from  abroad,  rather  than  find 
a  plan  of  utilising  it  on  the  land  from  which  it  originall}- 
came. 

Brooke  and  his  party  finally  reached  Chentu,  after 
passing  through  about  ten  miles  of  beautiful  flat  farming 
country,  which  looked  like  a  forest  from  the  pass  above  the 
mountain. 

Along  this  road  are  several  very  busy  market  towns,  but 
tlie  road  itself  showed  by  far  the  worst  condition  of  any  part 

68 


Hankow  to  CheiUu. 


of  the  256  miles  they  had  tramped  from  Chungking,  a  con- 
dition due  to  the  large  quantity  of  stone  brought  in  on  wheel- 
barrows from  the  quarries  at  Lungcheni  at  the  foot  of  the 
pass. 

Chentu  is  a  very  large  city,  and  they  walked  for  miles 
looking  for  a  decent  inn.  So  many  officials  come  to  this 
city  that  all  the  best  inns  are  kept  occupied,  though  even 
the  best  are  nothing  to  boast  of,  for  a  large  city  like  this. 
Finally  they  found  a  half-respectable  one,  and  there,  though 
the  rooms  were  small  and  dirty,  they  decided  to  remain  for 
a  few  days  while  they  completed  their  plans. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Chentu  to  Wexchuan. 

On  the  following  day  they  called  on  Mr.  Fox,  His  Britannic 
Majesty's  Acting  Consul-General,  and  had  a  talk  with  him 
about  the  country  they  hoped  to  travel  in.  He  did  not  give 
them  much  information. 

In  the  afternoon  they  called  on  the  writer  and  we  talked 
Mantze  Land  over  a  cup  of  tea,  which  our  two  visitors  seemed 
to  appreciate  very  much  after  their  long  journey  across  China, 
where  they  had  not  the  latest  convenience  for  making  cake, 
and  had  very  few  opportunities  of  enjoying  home-made  bread 
and  butter.  They  seemed  to  have  enjoyed  the  Chinese  food 
by  the  way,  but  it  had  by  no  means  destroyed  their  apprecia- 
tion of  5  o'clock  tea,  even  when  served  in  the  humble  cottage 
of  a  missionary  nearly  2,000  miles  west  of  Shanghai. 

We  talked  about  the  people  and  the  country,  and  as  they 
seemed  anxious  to  do  some  big  game  hunting  I  promised  to 
introduce  them  to  So  Tussu,  the  Prince  of  the  State  of  Wassu, 
where  large  game  is  to  be  found.  These  tribesmen  are  great 
hunters  and  spend  most  of  the  year  in  the  chase  ;  except  for 
a  month  at  seed  time  and  another  when  the  grain  is  being 
harvested,  which  is  their  close  season.  At  that  t'me  the 
Prince  issues  a  proclamation  that  every  one  must  be  in  the 
fields. 

As  I  had  never  taken  a  day  off  to  enjoy  a  hunt  since  coming 
to  China,  I  arranged  to  join  the  party  for  two  weeks  in  the 
Wassu  Forest. 

They  spent  several  days  in  Chentu,  making  the  necessary 
72 


ChenlLi   to   Wencluiaii. 


preparation  for  the  hunting  tour.  CooHes  had  to  be  engaged, 
the  loads  repacked  and  made  lighter  ;  for  the  mountainous 
country  into  which  tliey  were  now  about  to  enter  was  much 
more  difficult  for  the  porter,  and  they  were  anxious  to  have 
no  complaints  after  they  started  on  their  journey.  I  gave 
them  all  the  help   I  could,  securing  for  them  a  good  head 


■lllNli.iE    ri-.A,iANl 


coohe,   which   is   a   most   important    item   in   starting   on    an 
expedition  of  this  kind. 

The  head  coolie  is  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  aU  the 
porters;  he  keeps  their  time  sheets,  pays  them  their  wages, 
engages  new  men  by  the  way,  should  one  by  any  chance 
fall  out  of  the  ranks  or  get  "  baulky  "  and  refuse  to  do  his 
work,  as  they  often  do.     'Sluch  of  the  success  or  failure  of 


sport  and   Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Stepper 


every  expedition  depends  on  the  conduct  of  the  porters,  for 
if  they  are  obstinate  they  not  only  hinder  the  progress  of  the 
expedition,  but  often  make  it  very  unpleasant  and  even 
dangerous  for  the  whole  party. 

It  is  advisable  when  one  is  starting  on  a  long  journey  in  a 
rough  or  mountainous  country  to  have  the  loads  compara- 
tively light,  i.e.,  10  to  20  lbs.  below  the  standard  weight  carried 
by  coolies  on  the  main  roads.  The  coolies  will  then  travel 
up  to  thirty  miles  a  day  if  necessary  and  always  be  cheerful. 
Long  stages  are  very  seldom  called  for  in  the  Tribes  country, 
for  much  of  the  transport  is  achieved  by  "  peitze,"  i.e.,  a 
load  carried  on  a  man's  back.  The  men's  loads  are  made 
fast  to  a  frame  or  human  pack-saddle  and  fit  down  the  back, 
and  have  straps  coming  over  the  shoulders  ;  in  this  way  they 
carry  250  to  500  lbs.  per  man,  and  travel  about  forty  li  (ten 
miles)  per  day.  Usually  every  three  miles,  at  most,  along  the 
routes  there  is  an  inn,  or  a  stopping  place  called  an  inn,  where 
passengers  can  put  up.  When  the  traveller  gets  off  these 
main  roads  into  the  small  paths  that  lead  through  the  country, 
there  are  no  inns ;  one  has  to  make  other  arrangements,  and 
get  into  a  private  house  if  possible. 

It  is  a  great  rehef  to  the  traveller  to  know  that  his  men 
are  not  too  heavily  laden  and  that  he  may  have  no  fear  of 
delay  on  their  account.  The  average  load  for  a  coolie  wh<j 
lias  to  pass  over  high  altitudes  should  not  exceed  60  to 
80  lbs.  per  man  ;  if  this  rule  is  adhered  to,  there  will  seldom 
be  any  grumbling  or  disputing  in  the  ranks. 

On  February  27th  Meares  started  off  to  Kwanhsien 
with  the  coolies  and  servants,  while  Brooke  remained 
behind  to  secure  an  interpreter.  Unfortunately  the  man  he 
brought  as  interpreter  from  Shanghai  developed  heart  disease, 
and  on  arriving  at  Chentu  was  in  a  very  bad  condition  indeed, 
his  legs  and  body  being  much  swollen.  The  doctor  strongly 
recommended  that   he  should  be  sent  back,  saying  that  he 

74 


A    MANTZE   CASTIE   AN'l)   TOWER;    KIAKOS   (ON    KIGH  1)    1-OR    DRYING    CORN. 


Chcntu   to   Wfiichuan. 


would  be  certain  to  die  were  he  taken  to  higher  altitudes. 
They  decided  the  best  thing  tliey  could  do  was  to  send  him 
home  and  run  the  risk  of  getting  a  local  man  at  Chentu.  Here, 
again,  I  was  able  to  come  to  their  aid,  and,  knowing  a  number 
of  students  who  spoke  Enghsh,  helped  them  to  secure  the 
services  of  a  very  respectable  man.  Unfortunately  he  did  not 
prove  to  be  quite  what  was  wanted,  but  rather  elegant ;  and 
affected  long  finger-nails,  beautiful  silk  gowns,  and  rode  in 
a  sedan  chair  wherever  he  went.  He  was  useful,  however, 
in  translation  work,  and  the  travellers  kept  him  for  about  a 
month  in  their  employ. 

Meares  reached  Kwanhsien  in  two  marches,  a  distance  of 
thirty-four  miles,  while  Brooke,  starting  the  next  day  at 
12  o'clock,  did  it  in  nine  hours  ;  feehng  his  way  for  the  last  five 
miles  ;  for  it  was  pitch  dark  and  he  had  no  lantern,  and  did  not 
know  the  road,  which  winds  its  way  between  swift-running 
streams  for  a  great  part  of  the  distance.  He  finally  reached  the 
city  at  9  a.m.  and  called  at  the  Mission  Station,  which  is  just 
outside  the  city,  in  a  nice  little  semi-native  house  on  the 
banks  of  one  of  the  irrigation  streams.  They  directed  him 
to  the  inn  where  Meares  had  put  up  and  found  the  place  not 
very  large  or  clean.  The  inns  in  this  city  are  for  the  most 
part  occupied  by  merchants,  who  come  here  to  buy  up  furs, 
hides,  wool  and  herbs,  which  are  brought  from  Songpan, 
Tsakulao,  Mongum  and  other  centres  of  trade  on  the  Tibetan 
frontier. 

Kwanhsien  is  a  busy  little  place  on  the  Min  River  and  is 
the  frontier  town  between  China  and  the  Tribes  country. 
It  is  the  pomt  at  which  most  of  the  big  Chinese  firms  trading 
With  the  Tibetan  and  border  tribes  have  their  head  depots, 
which  are  most  interesting  places,  almost  like  museums  ; 
one  finds  all  kinds  of  strange  medicines,  horns,  birds,  skins, 
furs,  etc.  Some  of  the  skins  are  of  animals  almost  unheard 
of  in  luigland. 

77 


Sport  and  Travel  on   the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

They  were  very  much  struck,  on  the  road  from  Chentu, 
by  the  constant  stream  of  wheel-barrows  conveying  produce 
to  the  capital,  grain  of  all  kinds,  huge  bales  of  tobacco,  black 
pigs  which  are  trussed  like  helpless  bundles,  and  packed 
on  each  side  of  the  barrow ;  besides  many  other  commodities. 
There  are  also  passenger  barrows  which  carry  one  along  very 


CONVEYING    PIGS   TO   THE   CAPITAL 


comfortably  at  five  miles  an  hour,   at  a  charge  of  about  a 
penny  for  five  miles. 

They  spent  the  next  day  exploring  the  town  and  examining 
the  irrigation  works.  They  naturally  wondered  where  all  this 
water  comes  from  ;  along  the  road  various  dams  and  sluices 
are  run,  by  means  of  which  the  water  is  turned  into  the  various 


Chentu  to  Wenchuan. 


courses,  yet  not  until  they  reached  Kwanhsicn  did  they  discern 
the  wonderful  piece  of  engineering  work,  which  has  been  stated 
on  good  authority  to  be  equal  to  anything  accomplished  by 
our  modern  engineers.  A  great  volume  of  water  comes  rolling 
down  from  the  snow-capped  mountains  of  Tibet.  Just  as 
the  river  leaps  from  the  slopes  and  gorges  throiigli  which  it 
has  come,  and  is  about  to  enter  the  plain,  it  is  caught  and 
parcelled  into  seven  artificial  beds,  any  of  which  would  make 
a  good-sized  river.  These  divisions,  again,  are  subdivided 
into  thousands  of  small  streams,  so  arranged  that  the  water 
in  them  flows  as  high  as  ten  feet  above  the  surrounding  fields. 
Sluices  are  so  arranged  that,  at  will,  the  entire  plain,  con- 
sisting of  over  100,000  acres,  may  be  irrigated  or  left  dry, 
as  the  owners  choose.  A  large  part  of  the  water  thus  diverted 
from  its  original  course  is  carried  northward,  and  along  the 
foot  of  the  mountains,  and  through  a  cut  in  another  range 
nearly  i,ooo  feet  high  ;  and  so  flows  on  for  nearly  300  miles 
and  joins  the  Yangtze  at  Lucheo,  instead  of  returning  to  the 
Min  River  from  which  it  was  diverted. 

To  accomplish  this  feat  the  water  of  the  Min  is  not  only 
diverted  from  its  natural  course,  but  is  brought  over  two 
water-sheds  and  joined  to  the  Hanchow  River,  which  finds 
its  course  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  mountain  range.  Thus 
the  water  taken  northward  from  Kwanhsien,  by  being  kept 
near  to  the  foot  of  the  range,  is  brought  across  the  water-shed 
which  separates  the  Kwanhsien  and  Hanchow  waters,  and  is 
conveyed  into  the  bed  of  the  latter. 

The  plan  for  performing  this  piece  of  work  was  conceived 
by  a  Chinese  Mandarin  named  Lee  Ping,  in  300  B.C.,  and  the 
whole  plan  was  put  into  operation  by  him. 

For  this  famous  piece  of  work  Lee  Ping  was  deified,  and  his 

memory  is  still  kept  fresh  by  a  fine  temple  erected  to  him 

at    Kwanhsien,   where   the   officers   and    people   worship   him 

every  year.     A  great  fair  is  held  annually  in  this  temple  to 

(11243)  Si  u 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

which  the  people  gather  from  far  and  near,  Lee  Ping  left 
to  be  observed  throughout  future  generations  this  motto  : 
"  Keep  the  banks  low  and  the  beds  deep."  The  motto  is 
still  to  be  seen  engraved  on  a  stone  in  the  temple  at  Kwan- 
hsien,  and,  if  it  had  not  been  scrupulously  obeyed,  the  country 
would  have  been  deluged  long  ago.  About  60,000  taels 
(about  £8,000)  are  expended  annually  in  cleaning  out  the 
beds  and  repairing  the  dams  ;  and  the  people  willingly  pay 
this  tax,  which  is  assessed  on  all  the  lands  benefited  by  the 
irrigation  system. 

It  would  take  too  long  adequately  to  explain  the  plan  by 
which  the  immense  volume  of  water  is  successfully  carried 
out  of  its  bed,  and  sent  glistening  and  dancing  over  the  large 
and  fertile  plains :  watering  thousands  of  acres  so  that  they 
are  entirely  independent  of  rain,  and  enabhng  this  track 
of  country  to  bring  forth  sufficient  food  to  support  many 
milhons  of  people  annually. 

The  next  morning  they  started  early,  and  about  a  mile 
north  of  Kwanhsien,  came  to  the  temple  dedicated  to  Lee 
Ping.  This  is  one  of  the  most  beautifully  situated  temples 
in  China,  and  is  kept  in  better  repair  than  any  other  temple 
in  the  country.  All  the  gilding  and  lacquer  work  looks  as 
fresh  as  if  it  had  only  been  put  on  yesterday,  and  the  whole 
place  is  kept  in  beautiful  order — very  unlike  most  of  the 
temples  in  China. 

At  the  entrance  of  the  temple,  carved  in  stone  and  gilded, 
is  Lee  Ping's  motto  for  the  keeping  in  repair  of  the  irrigation 
works,  and  the  Chinese  show  that  they  have  not  forgotten 
his  instructions.  Every  winter  they  employ  a  huge  army  of 
tribesmen  to  divert  the  river  from  the  irrigation  canal  and 
dig  out  the  sand  and  stones,  brought  down  by  the  summer 
floods,  until  two  huge  iron  bars  are  exposed.  These  were  first 
deposited  by  Lee  Ping  to  show  the  proper  depth  of  the  channel. 

Almost  opposite  the  temple  is  an  immense  suspension 
82 


Chentu  to  Wcnchiian. 


bridge,  over  which  much  of  the  traffic  between  Chentu  and  the 
Western  Tribes  passes.  It  is  about  one-third  of  a  mile  long, 
and  is  made  of  huge  hawsers  of  plaited  strips  of  bamboo, 
which  stretch  from  bank  to  bank  and  are  pulled  light  on  big 
wooden  windlasses.  Loose  planks  are  laid  on  these  hawsers, 
and  it  is  ticklish  work  leading  a  horse  across  the  gaps,  especially 
when  the  whole  bridge  is  swinging  and  oscillating  in  the  strong 
winds  which  blow  every  afternoon  in  this  part  of  the  world. 


REPAIRING   THE    WENCHUAN    SUSPENSION    BRIDGE. 


The  march  was  continued  up  the  Min  for  some  hours,  past 
many  coal  mines  and  coke  works,  until  a  small  stream  was 
reached  flowing  from  the  east,  which  at  this  point  ran  through 
a  narrow  gorge,  with  huge  cliffs  on  either  sides  ;  after  following 
this  stream  for  some  distance  the  road  again  turned  north- 
ward and  led  over  a  pass  at  a  height  from  its  base  of  about 
3,000  feet,  or  5,000  feet  above  sea-level. 

The  view  from  the  top  of  the  pass  is  superb,  but  this  was 
(1 1243)  83  G  2 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

not  the  time  of  year  to  loiter  and  admire.  It  was  bitterly 
cold  ;  every  hair  on  every  leaf  of  the  bamboo  and  crypto- 
merias  was  encrusted  with  masses  of  crystal  ice,  and  the  whole 
place  looked  like  fairy  land.  Swinging  down  the  long  sloping 
road,  and  returning  to  the  Min  at  Yinhsiuwan,  the  party 
found  a  comfortable  little  inn  perched  amid  the  most  beautiful 
scenery,  and  almost  overhanging  the  river  on  a  balcony  of 
tree  trunks. 

Yinhsiuwan  is  a  small  town  of  about  lOO  families,  and 
boasts  several  inns,  but  only  two  of  them  are  really  fit  for 
habitation  ;  the  others  are  patronised  by  the  tea  and  medicine 
coolies  who  tramp  this  road.  The  place  itself  is  specially 
noted  for  its  timber  market,  most  of  the  square  timbers  and 
coffin  boards,  cut  farther  up  the  river  in  the  Wassu  country, 
are  carried  on  men's  shoulders  to  Yinhsiuwan,  thence  the^^ 
are  sent  on  rafts  in  the  summer  months  to  Kwanhsien,  Chentu 
and  other  large  centres. 

Yinhsiuwan  is  also  a  tea  station,  and  much  of  the  tea  that 
goes  to  Songpan  and  Matang  for  trade  with  the  Tibetans 
and  Tribes  passes  up  this  way.  It  is  the  first  stage  ;  the 
coolies  have  to  carry  the  tea  to  this  place  before  they  get 
any  pay  for  their  work  ;  thence  it  is  carried  from  stage  to 
stage  by  different  coolies. 

At  this  point  the  party  had  now  really  entered  the 
mountains,  the  scenery  of  which  surpasses  description,  peak 
after  peak  towering  to  a  height  of  6,000  to  8,000  feet  ;  there 
was  evidence  of  profuse  vegetation,  though  just  then  ever}^- 
thing  was  in  its  winter  coat. 

The  route  lay  along  the  banks  of  the  Min,  which  was  now 
a  rushing,  roaring  torrent,  and  the  road  was  rough  and  stony 
and  walking  was  most  difficult.  On  both  sides  the  precipitous 
snow-covered  mountains  rose  sheer  from  the  river,  and  only 
a  narrow  strip  of  blue  sky  was  visible  overhead  ;  yet  even 
these  steep  mountains  are  cultivated,  and  one  wonders  how 

84 


Chcntu  to  Wenchuan. 


the  farmer  can  ever  get  the  scanty  soil  to  stay  where  it  is 
wanted,  and  not  be  carried  down  into  the  river  with  the  first 
shower  of  rain. 

After  travelhng  for  two  days  in  this  most  picturesque 
valley  a  new  kind  of  dwelling,  not  of  Chinese  origin,  came 
into  view — great  three-storied  buildings,  solidly  built  of  stone 
and  mud  for  mortar  ;  and  great  water  towers  like  factory 
chimneys   rose   in   all  directions.     On   inquiry   it   was   found 


that  the  people  living  on  the  east  bank  of  the  river  are  called 
Chang  Ming,  and  are  supposed  to  be  the  remnant  of  the 
aborigines  of  the  country ;  while  the  people  on  the  west  bank 
are  the  Wassu,  descendants  of  the  tribesmen  brought  by  the 
Chinese  from  South- Western  Tibet  more  tlian  800  years  ago 
to  help  conquer  the  Chang  Ming. 

The  whole  stretch  of  the  country  is  interesting,  and  it  is 
well  wooded  for  the  most  part,  though  every  available  spot 

85 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


is  cultivated.  Along  the  road  came  thousands  of  coolies 
laden  with  furs,  wool,  medicines,  deer  sinews,  brought  from 
the  Tibetan  border  towns,  where  these  commodities  had  been 
taken  in  exchange  for  salt,  sugar,  wane,  rice  or  bamboo  and 
hemp  sandles.  The  road  runs  parallel  to  the  river  all  the 
way,  and  every  two  miles  are  found  rest  houses,  very  poor 
looking  homes,  in  some  cases  covered  only  with  split  clap 
boards  or  undressed  shingles ;  the  frame  structure,  often  as 
not,  leaning  at  such  an  angle  that  one  would  expect  the 
buildings  to  fall  at  any  minute  on  their  tenants,  occupants, 
and  on  the  travellers  who  are  to  be  seen  drinking  tea  and 
eating  their  food  in  many  of  them.  There  are,  of  course, 
exceptions  ;  but  most  of  the  buildings  certainly  impress 
one  with  the  fact  that  the  inhabitants  have  a  hard  job  to  make 
a  hving.  The  average  hut,  called  an  inn,  is  filthy,  and  the 
pigsty  and  its  inhabitants  have  the  most  prominent  and" 
honourable  position — a  room  or  pen  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
enclosure. 

Reports  of  game  were  heard  along  the  road,  yet  nothing 
was  seen  but  one  raccoon,  which  some  of  the  natives  had 
trapped  and  chained  up.  The  country  was  very  wild  and 
rugged,  and  so  steep  were  some  of  the  cliffs  that  formed  the 
river  bank  and  so  high  did  they  tower,  that  the  road  builders, 
at  points,  had  cut  a  passage  out  of  the  sohd  rock.  In  other 
parts  mason  work  is  built,  or  a  wooden  bridge  is  thrown  across 
a  chasm,  sometimes  several  hundred  feet  above  the  foaming 
stream.  Yet  over  these  narrow  and  dangerous  places  the 
pack-mules  plying  between  Kwanhsien  and  Songpan  pass 
continually,  and  hardly  ever  with  an  accident.  Often  they 
have  to  walk  within  a  few  inches  of  the  edge  of  these 
precipices  with  not  more  than  two  inches  of  space  between  the 
load  and  the  sohd  rock  on  the  inside,  while  a  sheer  drop  of  several 
hundred  feet  is  between  them  and  the  water  or  the  rock  as 
the  case  may  be,  on  the  other  side.     Yet  these  wonderfully 

S6 


Chentu  to  Wcnchucin. 


sure-footed  animals  seldom  make  a  mis-step  or  even  bump 
their  loads  on  the  rocks,  though  you  would  not  care  to  have 
your  hand  between  the  loads  and  th(^  rock,  so  little  space 
is  there  to  spare. 


^.    ..  .^ 

.  i^i^M 

..'iH^^^^B 

■r>^-'  •v.ai  "• 

'^B^B^^I 

BM.     "*      "^ 

'^H99 

E2>r-  ~^:^ 

HnGBEK^'^'" 

„,.  ^,^J 

EJ*^" 

^n 

j^^^^-a.^v 

Wm 

SO   TUSSU,    HIS   SON,    AND   SECRETARY. 


On  the  evening  of  March  6,  Wenchuan  was  reached,  and 
a  fairly  comfortable  inn  was  found  in  which  they  made 
their  headquarters  for  some  time.  I  started  from  Chentu 
several  days    after    them,    but    making   a    quick  journey  on 

87 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


my   frisky    little    horse,    overtook    them   the    evening    they 
arrived. 

Next  morning  we  called  on  So  Tussu,  who  had  just  come 
down  from  his  palace  on  the  mountain  of  Tongling  to  meet 
a  new  Chinese  official  who  had  just  been  appointed  to  Wen- 
chuan.  He  was  very  friendly,  and  arranged  a  small  hunt 
for  us  next  day,  to  test  our  sporting  capabihties. 


88 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Sport  in  Wassu. 

Next  morning  we  were  up  early,  but  by  8  a.m.  no  hunters 
had  arrived,  so  we  went  over  to  the  chief  to  ask  if  they  were 
coming.  A  little  later  two  ruffianly-looking  hunters  ap- 
peared, dressed  in  skin  coats,  and  armed  with  long  gaspipe 
guns,  with  coils  of  fuse  made  with  bamboo  fibre.  They  all 
wore  bamboo  or  hemp  sandals,  and  we  did  the  same,  as 
leather  boots  were  quite  useless,  not  to  say  dangerous,  on 
the  crags  where  we  were  to  hunt.  After  leaving  the  village 
behind  us  we  followed  a  small  path  which  zigzagged  up  the 
precipitous  side  of  the  mountain,  and,  after  some  more  climb- 
ing, found  six  other  hunters  with  their  dogs  awaiting  our 
arrival. 

We  still  climbed  higher,  to  take  our  positions  for  the  hunt, 
while  some  of  the  hunters  with  their  dogs  remained  below 
to  drive  the  game.  Before  we  reached  our  positions  we 
heard  the  dogs  barking,  and  the  hunters  shouted  up  to  us  that 
a  musk  deer  had  got  away. 

After  a  tremendous  struggle  up  the  precipitous  cliffs,  over 
which  we  scrambled,  dragging  ourselves  up,  by  catching 
hold  of  the  brushwood  and  shrub  bamboo  which  covered  the 
face  of  the  mountain,  we  finally  reached  a  position,  far  up 
the  mountain  side,  where  we  had  a  most  wonderful  view  of 
the  surrounding  country.  Here  we  halted  for  a  little,  to 
gain  our  breath  and  enjoy  the  panoramic  view  unfolded  before 
us.  Away  to  the  west  a  great  snow  range  seemed  to  blend 
its  glistening  peaks  with  the  clear  light  bUic  of    the  western 

S9 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

sky.  The  lower  slopes  were  dotted  with  the  dull  grey  stone 
dwellings  of  the  Wassu  and  Changming  peasantry,  and  the 
great  towers,  erected  in  these  villages,  looked  like  church 
spires  in  the  distance.  Above  the  cultivated  fields  rose 
green  forests  of  bamboo,  white  fir,  birch,  shrub  and  prickly 
oak  ;  and  just  below  the  snow  line  the  rhododendron  forest 
and  higher  yet  the  grassland  topped  by  great  craggy  rocks, 
their  peaks  covered  with  eternal  snow. 

In  the  valley  beneath  us,  4,000  feet  below  where  we  stood, 
the  Min,  like  a  little  stream  of  silver,  ghstened  in  the  sun- 
shine. To  the  south  the  view  was  not  so  extensive,  but 
not  less  beautiful  and  interesting — the  mountain  wooded 
almost  to  its  base,  and,  far  up  its  sides,  small  openings  in  the 
forest  where  the  perpetual  smoke  of  the  charcoal-burners 
showed  and  the  potash- makers  were  at  work  :  the  trees  bend- 
ing under  their  load  of  snow. 

We  looked  northward  to  see  if  we  were  nearing  the  summit 
of  the  mountain,  which  we  had  been  toiling  up  for  the  last 
two  hours  ;  but  on  looking  to  the  valley  beneath  us,  from 
which  we  had  just  come,  and  then  toward  the  top  of  the 
slope  that  contained  our  hunting-ground  for  the  day,  we 
decided  that  we  were  not  more  than  one-quarter  way  up. 
We  had  chmbed  3,000  feet  already,  and  the  valley  whence 
we  started  was  5,000  feet  above  sea-level,  so  that  our  position 
was  quite  8,000  feet  above  the  mighty  ocean. 

Our  hunting-ground  was  covered  with  shrub  bamboo,  but 
there  were  many  open  spots  and  run-ways  here  and  there, 
so,  by  choosing  good  positions,  we  had  command  of  a  con- 
siderable stretch  of  mountain  side. 

Prince  So's  head  hunter  allotted  us  our  position,  and  we 
were  all  placed  by  12  o'clock. 

It  was  bitterly  cold,  for  a  strong  wind  had  sprung  up,  and 
the  heat  of  the  sun  did  not  seem  to  have  much  eftect. 

We   knew  from  the  barking  of  the  dogs   that  game  was 


NEAR    SO   TUSSU'S   CASTLE;    MOUNTAIN    AT    END    OF    VALLEY    SIXTY    MUT'^ 


sport  in  Wassu. 


moving,  but  no  shots  had  yet  been  fired  ;  everyone  was  ex- 
pectantly waiting,  for  there  was  no  telhng  where  the  game 
might  pop  out. 

The  dogs  kept  zigzagging  back  and  forth  up  the  mountain 
side,  at  times  coming  near,  again  turning  and  apparently 
driving  the  game  right  away  and  round  the  farther  side  of 
the  mountain.  It  was  then  the  cold  wdnd  seemed  to  pierce 
us,  chilling  us  even  to  the  marrow  in  our  bones,  and  my  own 
hands  got  so  cold  that  I  don't  think  I  could  have  held  my 
rifle  steady  if  the  dogs  had  brought  something  to  my  feet. 

For  a  long  time  they  had  not  come  near  my  side  of  the 
mountain,  and  their  bark  became  almost  indistinguishable 
from  the  murmur  of  the  wind.  One  second  I  imagined  I 
could  hear  them  coming  nearer  and  nearer,  then  the  sound 
would  die  away.  Knowing  that  the  game  in  this  part  of  the 
country  are  not  afraid  of  smoke,  so  used  are  they  to  the  char- 
coal-burners, with  their  camps  everywhere  in  these  moun- 
tains, I  gathered  at  last  some  dry  wild  grass  and  bamboos, 
and  made  a  fire  in  a  little  nook  under  a  rock  close  by  my 
station. 

Finally,  just  as  we  were  giving  up  hope  of  seeing  anything 
coming  our  way,  we  heard  a  shot  round  the  corner  of  a  hill, 
and  Mr.  Meares  rushed  round  just  in  time  to  meet  a  large  wild 
boar  and  give  him  a  charge  of  buck  shot  at  ten  yards.  This 
bowled  him  over,  but  he  recovered  sufaciently  to  scramble 
down  the  steep  hillside  for  a  distance.  Mr.  Brooke  glided 
down  the  hillside  after  him  and  gave  him  the  coup-de-grace— 
rather  dangerous  work,  as  a  steep  hillside  covered  with 
thicket,  in  which  a  wounded  boar  is  taking  shelter,  is  not 
the  safest  place  in  the  world. 

The  hunters  soon  collected  round,  and  were  much  pleased 
to  see  a  mass  of  pork,  which  they  cut  up  and  packed  on  their 
backs.  We  then  descended  3,000  feet  back  to  the  river  bed 
by  one  of  the  steepest  tracks  we  had  ever  traversed. 

93 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

We  found  it  quite  as  difficult  work  safely  to  descend  the 
mountain  side  as  it  was  to  ascend  it.  The  path  was  narrow 
and  covered  with  small  round  pebbles  that  rolled  under  our 
feet,  and  we  all  took  turns  in  unwillingly  and  somewhat  sud- 
denly sitting  down. 

We  had  not  yet  got  used  to  our  new  footwear,  and  the 
coarse  hemp  ropes  of  our  sandals  seemed  to  find  tender  spots 
in  our  feet,  and  especially  as  we  found  our  way  down  the 
steep  mountain  side.  Our  toes  would  insist  on  finding  their 
way  through  the  strands  of  rope,  which  felt  as  though  they 
were  cutting  ruts  into  the  bones.  We  were  glad  when  at 
last  we  arrived  at  the  inn  and  found  a  good  supper  of  boiled 
rice  and  curried  chicken  awaiting  us,  and  I  am  sure  the  cook 
was  pleased  with  himself,  for  we  licked  the  platter  clean  that 
night. 

We  all  felt  quite  proud  of  our  iirst  day's  hunt,  for  although 
we  had  not  got  anything  remarkable  for  our  arduous  climb, 
yet  we  had  found  there  was  something  in  the  neighbourhood 
worth  hunting,  and  our  first  da}^  was  not  a  blank.  The 
carcase  of  the  wild  boar,  which  we  had  divided  among  the 
men,  had  put  them  all  in  the  best  of  spirits,  and  they  all 
joined  in  earnest  expectation  for  good  success  on  the  morrow. 

When  the  hunters  collected  next  morning  they  brought 
the  report  that  a  ngaelu  (cliff  donkey),  which  we  afterwards 
discovered  was  a  serow,  had  been  seen  near  where  we  hunted 
yesterday,  so  we  set  out  early  ;  it  had  snowed  some  in  the 
night  and  the  paths  were  quite  slippery,  but  it  was  wonderful 
how  our  hemp  sandals  gripped  the  rock.  By  lo  o'clock  we 
were  all  in  our  places,  for  we  did  not  go  quite  so  high  as  on 
the  previous  day. 

Meares  and  I  were  posted  in  the  river  bed,  and  Brooke 
went  higher  up  on  the  mountain  side  with  the  hunters. 
Old  Wang,  the  head  hunter,  kept  with  Brooke,  and  they 
took  up  their  position  on  a  little  ledge  of  rock  with  cliffs  on 

94 


PRINCE    SO    (IN    CENiKE),    MR.    MEAKE^    AND    MR.    KKOURE. 


Sport  in  Wa 


two  sides  of  them,  on  which  the  serow  might  at  any  moment 
appear,  should  it  be  pressed  hard  by  the  dogs. 

Hardly  had  they  got  to  their  places  when  some  of  the  dogs 
began  to  give  tongue,  and  in  a  short  time  the  beaters  sent 
dowTi  the  cry  that  a  serow  had  gone  to  bay  on  one  of  the 
crags  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  cliff  from  where  Brooke 
and  old  Wang  were  located.  But  before  any  of  the  beaters 
could  get  near  enough  to  get  a  shot,  the  serow  broke  through 
the  dogs,  and  started  up  the  mountain  in  quite  the  opposite 
direction  from  what  those  experts  had  expected,  and,  getting 
in  the  deep  snow,  was  clean  away.  Another  pack  of  dogs 
that  had  been  started  simultaneously  raised  another  serow, 
and  brought  him  round  the  lower  end  of  the  cliff.  He  was 
too  far  away  from  Meares  and  myself  to  get  a  shot, 
though  we  could  see  him  like  a  little  speck  on  the 
mountain  side. 

Old  Wang  rushed  down  the  mountain  side  by  leaps  and 
bounds,  and  called  to  Brooke  to  follow  on.  Endeavour- 
ing to  keep  up  with  Wang,  an  expert  mountaineer,  he  soon 
found  himself  in  a  sitting  position,  and  came  shding  down, 
rather  to  the  damage  of  his  trousers,  but  got  off  without  a 
scratch.  The  serow  turned  just  as  he  was  about  to  enter 
the  open  ground,  crossed  his  track,  and  went  off  in  pursuit 
of  the  first  one.  It  was  now  getting  late,  and  we  thought 
the  sport  was  over  for  the  day,  but  old  Wang  said  there  was 
still  a  chance,  for  when  they  were  coming  up  in  the  morning 
they  heard  a  goral  blowing  on  the  mountain  side.  He  de- 
clared these  creatures  did  not  travel  far  at  this  season  of 
the  year,  unless  they  were  hunted,  and  that  they  would  be 
out  feeding  at  this  hour  of  the  evening. 

They  called  the  dogs  in  by  a  shrill,  long  cry,  followed  by 

several   shorter  ones,   which   echoed  and  re-echoed  through 

the  mountain  side,  and  the  weary  disappointed  little  creatures 

were  soon  seen  coming  slowly  back  from  three  different  direc- 

(11243)  97  " 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

tions,  just  as  the  men  had  all  collected  in  the  valley  where 
Meares  and  I  were  posted. 

One  little  stray  dog,  which  the  beaters  had  begun  to  grow 
anxious  about,  lest  it  had  pursued  the  serow  too  far  up  the 
mountain  into  the  deep  snow,  and  had  got  eaten  by  a  panther, 
appeared;  and  just  before  him,  far  up  the  mountain  side  in 
the  clearing,  a  little  coloured  creature  was  seen  hopping 
along,  almost  like  a  rabbit.  This  the  hunters  declared  was 
a  chitze,  i.e.,  a  chamois.  He  was  over  i,ooo  yards  from  us, 
and  though  we  sent  a  few  shots  after  him  he  escaped  without 
injury,  and  the  dog  left  him  in  answer  to  the  call  of  his  master. 

The  dogs  were  sent  home  by  one  of  the  hunters,  who  took 
us  along  on  the  other  bank  of  the  small  stream.  We  followed 
a  narrow  path,  which  led  up  to  a  potash-burner's  hut,  then 
on,  round  the  face  of  the  cliff,  and  crossed  over  a  precipice 
bridged  by  rotten  logs.  These  were  pinned  to  the  side  of  the 
cUff  by  wooden  pins  as  rotten  as  themselves ;  for  it  was  many 
years  since  they  were  placed  there  by  some  venturesome 
charcoal-burner,  to  enable  him  to  collect  suitable  sticks  for 
burning  in  his  kiln  farther  up  the  mountain  side.  The  timber, 
suitable  for  this  purpose,  having  all  been  cut,  the  road  was 
long  since  discarded,  and  only  these  risky,  fearless  hunters 
now  pass  over  it.  It  would  only  bear  one  person  at  a  time. 
Old  Wang  said  "  siaosin,  siaosin  "  (carefully,  carefully),  but 
there  was  no  need  for  his  advice.  In  places  there  was  a  sheer 
drop  of  500  feet,  and  the  only  footing  was  a  single  rotten 
log,  not  more  than  six  inches  in  diameter  when  first  placed 
there,  but  now  wasted  to  half  that  size,  and  we  never  knew 
just  how  sound  the  remaining  portion  might  be.  Then  there 
was  some  snow  lying  on  them  in  places,  which  added  to  the 
treacherousness  of  the  situation,  and  there  was  nothing  to 
hold  to  but  the  side  of  the  rock,  with  here  and  there  a  small 
brushwood  that  had  grown  out  of  some  crevice  on  the  cliff's 
side,  and  on  which  one  could  not  put  much  reliance. 

9S 


Sport  In  Wassu. 


The  only  thing  was  to  look  aloft,  keep  steady,  and  try 
not  to  tliink  of  the  danger,  for  if  one's  nerves  go  for  a  second 
one's  head  would  begin  to  swim  and  the  danger  be  increased 
many  fold. 

After  about  500  yards  of  this  we  came  out  on  a  more  sloping 
hillside,  but  still  not  a  place  to  slip  on,  for  it  was  a  long  way 
to  the  bottom,  and  soon  came  to  a  flat  place,  where  there  had 
been  an  old  hut.  Here  we  stood  still  to  scan  the  rocky  cliff 
on  the  opposite  side  of  a  small  ravine  just  in  front  of  us  ; 
it  was  here  the  hunters  had  heard  the  goral  in  the  morning. 

The  keen  eye  of  Wang  soon  picked  out  something  which 
he  declared  was  a  living  creature  ;  but  though  he  tried  to 
point  it  out  to  us,  even  with  the  aid  of  a  good  pair  of  binoculars, 
we  could  see  nothing  but  rocks  and  trees.  Some  of  the  men 
were  sent  away  round,  to  beat  the  side  of  the  cliff,  and  drive 
the  goral  our  way  ;  but  how  they  were  to  make  their  way 
was  a  mystery;  in  fact,  it  seemed  impossible,  but  these 
men  are  like  flies,  they  stick  anywhere  they  set  their  feet. 

We  were  a  long  time  waiting.  At  length  some  of  the 
beaters  got  beyond,  and  came  down  near  where  Wang  kept 
telling  us  the  animal  stood  ;  we  saw  an  object  move.  It 
started  to  come  toward  us,  suddenly  it  disappeared  into  a 
hole  in  the  rock  ;  the  hunter  followed,  but  could  not  find 
where  it  was  hid  ;  threw  a  stone  into  the  hole,  and  out  it 
came  within  a  few  yards  of  him,  and  went  sliding  along  the 
face  of  the  chff  across  the  gulley  from  us  more  like  a  panther 
than  a  goral. 

When  the  goral  came  opposite  to  us  he  stopped  ;  the  light 
was  failing  when  Brooke  fired  at  about  200  yards,  and 
wounded  him  badly.  He  fell  straight  off  the  cliffs  and  turned 
several  somersaults  before  reaching  the  rocky  bed  of  the 
stream,  and  we  expected  to  And  the  beast  a  mangled  mass 
at  the  bottom.  With  great  difficulty  we  got  down  the  face 
of  the  cliff,  but  when  we  came  to  where  we  expected  to  find 
(1 1243)  99  "  2 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


him,  up  he  jumped  and  escaped  without  further  damage  from 
the  volley  of  shots  which  followed  him.  After  running  about 
500  yards  he  halted,  and  Mr.  Brooke  bowled  him  over  again, 
and  now  we  thought  that  he  really  was  killed,  and  sent  up 
a  hunter  to  carry  him  down.  No  sooner  did  the  hunter  ap- 
proach the  spot  where  he  lay  than  up  he  jumped  again  ;  we 
had  given  our  guns  to  the  hunter  to  carry,  and  he  escaped. 

It  was  now  getting  very  dark,  and  the  paths  were  terrible, 
so  we  thought  that  we  had  better  get  down  to  the  level  as 
soon  as  possible.  The  hunter  put  a  dog  on  the  track  of  the 
goral,  saying  he  would  drive  it  down,  but  we  saw  nothing 
more  of  him  that  night.  When  we  got  safely  back  to  the 
main  road  we  could  still  hear  the  faint  sound  of  the  dog  baying 
the  goral  in  the  pitchy  darkness,  right  on  the  face  of  the 
perpendicular  wall  of  rock  2,000  feet  above  us.  We  never 
expected  to  see  the  dog  alive  again,  so  sat  down  to  wait  events. 
Suddenly  from  the  face  of  the  cliff  shot  out  a  flash  of  sparks 
and  a  bang,  then  silence  ;  then  the  dog  barked  again,  then 
another  flash  and  bang,  then  a  final  silence.  After  waiting 
some  time  the  other  hunters  said  we  had  better  get  home, 
though  there  was  neither  sight  nor  sound  of  their  companion 
who  had  gone  after  the  goral. 

The  brave  httle  hunter  followed  the  goat  along  the  face 
of  the  cliff  in  the  dark,  and  had  shot  at  it  by  hearing,  and 
then  returned  safely  along  those  terrible  tracks  in  the  pitch 
dark.  Few  foreigners  would  have  cared  to  undertake  so  much 
in  broad  dayhght. 

On  returning  to  the  town  we  spoke  to  the  chief  about  what 
had  happened,  as  we  were  quite  anxious  about  the  man,  but 
he  only  laughed  and  said,  "  My  men  are  not  Chinese." 

The  goral  was  brought  in  next  morning  badly  bruised 
from  its  fall  over  the  cliff.  It  had  stuck  in  the  brushwood  on 
a  narrow  ledge,  some  500  feet  below  where  the  hunter  had 
given  it  the  coup-de-gracc  the  night  before  ;  and  to  get  the 


HLNTKRS   SCANNING     IHK    MOUNIAIN    SIDE    FOR    GORAI. 


sport  in  Wassu. 


beast  one  of  the  men  was  roped  and  suspended  over  the  side 
of  the  cliff  and  attached  the  rope  to  the  dead  goral,  which  was 
drawn  up,  and  the  rope  again  let  down  for  the  man,  who 
clung  to  the  narrow  ledge  by  the  few  bushes  that  grew  out 
of  a  crevice  in  the  rock.  We  found  that  three  shots  had  been 
sent  through  the  beast — one  through  the  intestines,  which 
also  broke  one  hind  leg,  the  other  not  far  behind  the  heart  ; 
and  the  little  hunter's  buckshot,  one  of  which  hit  him  in  the 
head,  had  bowled  him  over  the  cliff. 

The  vitality  and  agility  of  these  animals  is  incredible. 
The  horns  were  so  badly  broken  from  the  fall  that  the  skin 
was  useless  as  a  specimen. 

The  next  day  Meares  and  I  went  out  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river  ;  the  road  was  much  better,  but  the  game  not  so 
plentiful. 

Just  as  we  were  giving  up,  for  we  had  patiently  waited 
for  some  hours,  the  dogs  drove  a  chitze  (chamois)  down  to 
Meares.  It  came  out  of  the  undergrowth  just  behind  him, 
but  turned  before  Meares  got  a  shot,  and  came  towards  me, 
the  dogs  hard  after,  one  of  them  not  more  than  ten  paces 
behind.  I  let  drive  at  the  chitze  at  about  seventy  yards,  while 
he  was  on  the  run,  and  shot  him  through,  breaking  a  front 
and  hind  leg  ;  so  he  did  not  go  far,  but  managed  to  get  down 
the  moimtain  side  some  little  distance  before  the  dogs  got 
him. 

One  of  the  hunters  and  myself  were  soon  at  the  spot  and 
recovered  our  prize  from  the  dogs,  who  would  have  torn  it 
to  pieces.  We  had  each  now  bagged  something,  and  felt 
that  we  had  also  some  experience  in  shooting  in  a  moun- 
tainous country. 

Tussu  now  insisted  that  we  should  come  up  and  spend  the 
next  day  with  him  in  his  castle  on  Tonglin,  so  we  went, 
and  he  had  a  feast  prepared  for  us,  and  entertained  us 
royally.         Brooke     took    his      phonograph     up,     and     the 

103 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes, 

whole  countryside  gathered  in  to  hear  it,  so  we  spent  a 
lively  evening. 

The  following  morning  we  went  over  to  the  chief's  private 
temple,  over  600  years  old,  and  filled  with  the  most  obscene 
idols  I  have  ever  seen.  At  the  right  of  the  door  as  one  enters 
the  temple  is  the  idol  of  Sakti,  wife  of  the  god  Siva  ;  while 
inside  are  the  obscene  idols  of  the  Bon  sect,  the  most  vile 
form  of  nature  worship. 

"The  Tantras,"  or  Sakti  Bible,  which  presents  Hinduism 
at  its  worst  and  most  corrupt  stage  of  development,  and 
identifies  all  force  with  the  female  principle  in  nature,  is  no 
longer  used  by  this  tribe,  as  their  religion  has  been  reformed 
by  the  Lamaism  of  the  Red  Sect  ;  yet  there  is  still  much  of 
the  Sakti  superstition  practised  among  all  these  tribes,  and 
there  are  some  who  still  retain  the  old  Tantras  writings  as 
their  standard  of  morality  and  holy  living  ;  but  I  will  write 
of  these  things  in  another  chapter. 

The  head  Lama  is  a  cousin  of  the  chief,  and  is  a  pleasant 
young  fellow,  but  not  inclined  to  give  away  much  informa- 
tion, or  he  may  not  be  well  acquainted  with  the  early 
writings  to  which  I  have  just  referred.  The  old  Lama,  who  is 
really  dying  of  consumption,  was  well  up  in  the  subject,  and 
gave  me  a  good  deal  of  information,  but  tliis  is  not  the  place 
to  deal  with  this  subject. 

There  were  shelves  piled  with  books  written  in  Tibetan 
character,  but  they  did  not  look  as  if  they  were  much  used, 
or  as  if  the  cobwebs  were  often  swept  off  them.  Old  scrolls 
with  paintings  of  Buddha  and  the  saints,  or  incarnations 
decked  the  walls  and  hung  from  the  beams.  Candles  were 
kept  burning  in  front  of  some  of  the  idols,  but  many  of  them 
were  quite  neglected. 

The  tribesmen  seem  to  be  losing  confidence  in  the  power 
of  these  idols  to  perform  the  mighty  things  claimed  for  them 
by  the  priests,  and  while  they  do  not  really  profess  Chris- 

104 


Sport  in  Wassu. 


tianity,  they  are  a  happy,  jolly  people,  who  deserve  some- 
thing better  than  they  have  ;  and,  when  the  missionaries 
commence  to  work  among  them,  they  will  prove  themselves 
to  be  a  people  worth  working  for. 

We  enjoyed  our  visit  to  the  chief,  and  learned  to  understand 
him  better,  as  he  was  more  free,  when  away  from  the  Chinese. 
He  is  a  heavy  opium-smoker,  however,  and  is  always  pro- 
posing to  go  to  the  hospital  at  Chentu  and  break  it  off,  but 
has  not  the  courage  to  make  the  attempt.  He  is  rather  a 
weak  man,  and  the  Chinese  play  a  good  deal  on  his  good 
nature.  He  fears  that  the  chieftainship  may  soon  be  taken 
from  him,  and  the  whole  country  put  formally  under  the 
Chinese  official.  This  will  probably  take  place  in  the  near 
future;  as  the  Chinese  are  certainly  planning  to  replace  all 
the  hereditary  chiefs  of  all  these  border  states  by  Chinese 
officials,  appointed  by  the  Emperor  periodically,  as  in  other 
parts  of  China. 

I  should  be  sorry  to  see  a  people  hke  this  lose  their  identity 
and  be  completely  absorbed  by  the  Chinese,  but  it  might 
be  the  best  thing  for  them,  as  they  are  at  present  despised 
and  down-trodden  by  their  conquerors,  as  well  as  oppressed 
by  their  chiefs  and  princes.  The  position  of  the  ordinary 
man  and  woman  is  that  of  vassal  or  slave,  and  they  can  never 
expect  to  possess  anything  of  their  own.  To  eke  out  an 
existence  is  about  their  only  ambition  under  the  present 
system. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Hunting  the  Panyang. 

We  heard  of  a  strange  kind  of  sheep  called  "Panyang," 
by  the  Chinese.  It  was  reported  to  have  long  curved  horns 
and  to  live  on  the  grass  lands  above  the  tree-line,  which  in 
this  latitude  is  ii,ooo  feet. 

The  Prince  showed  us  some  skins,  which  were  incomplete, 
the  native  hunters  having  cut  off  the  legs  and  head,  con- 
sidering them  of  no  value.  The  horns  and  skulls  also  were 
left  on  the  mountains  where  they  were  shot  ;  so  that  these 
skins  were  of  no  use  as  specimens,  but  we  were  able  to  get 
some  idea  of  the  animal  and  its  coat.  The  hair  was  of  a 
greyish  blue  or  drab  colour,  white  on  the  flanks  and  belly, 
and  black  stripes  bordering  the  flanks  and  down  the  front  of 
the  legs.  The  hair  was  rather  coarse  but  soft  and  thick, 
more  like  a  deer's  coat  than  a  sheep's,  and  could  by  no  means 
be  called  wool. 

The  description  of  the  habits  of  these  sheep,  as  given  by 
the  natives,  was  sufficient  to  arouse  our  curiosity  and  we 
determined  to  secure  a  specimen.  The  chief  declared  the 
snow  was  too  deep  on  the  mountains  for  us  to  ascend  to  their 
haunts,  but  on  offering  a  reward  for  a  skin  in  good  condition 
three  hardy  hunters  volunteered  to  attempt  the  task.  The 
chief  recommended  that  we  should  go  to  Tsaopo,  a  small 
place  lying  back  from  the  main  road  where  his  old  palace  is, 
and  which  was  once  the  headquarters  of  the  Wassu  Chief. 
He  put  this  old  castle  at  our  disposal  and  sent  in  word  to  his 
retainers  that  wc  were  to  be  well  looked  after.     No  foreigner 

1 06 


Hunting  the  Panyang. 


had  ever  Uved  in  this  locahty  and  only  two  or  three  had  ever 
visited  it.  The  chief  sent  ten  of  his  hunters  with  us,  and  we 
were  to  wait  in  the  valley  near  the  castle,  while  the  three 
hunters,  who  had  agreed  to  go  up  the  snow-clad  mountain 
to  secure  a  panyang,  returned. 

The  next  day,  March  13,  we  set  out,  retracing  out  tracks 
down  the  Min  about  seven  miles  to  Sohchiao,  where  there  is 
a  very  long  rope  bridge  suspended  across  the  river. 

Here  a  good  sized  stream  coming  from  the  west  joins  the 
Min.  We  followed  up  this  stream  for  about  ten  miles,  crossing 
it  several  limes.  For  the  coolies  this  was  easy  enough,  as 
there  were  rope  bridges  over  which  foot  passengers  can  make 
their  way  ;  but,  I  having  my  horse  along  with  me,  and  the 
planks  being  set  so  far  apart  that  it  was  impossible  for  him 
to  cross  the  bridge,  I  had  to  take  the  pony  down  to  the  river 
bed,  and  almost  swim  him  through  the  swift  waters.  The 
natives  said  it  could  not  be  done,  or  rather  that  it  had  never 
been  done  ;  but  my  pony  was  in  good  condition,  and  knowing 
how  to  handle  him,  we  soon  crossed  over  and  overtook  the 
party  again.  I  had  thus  to  cross  the  river  several  times, 
as  there  were  many  places  where  the  path  ran  along  the  side 
of  the  cliff,  where  it  was  so  narrow  that  it  was  impossible 
for  the  horse  to  pass.  At  last  we  reached  the  junction  of 
two  streams,  the  one  still  coming  from  the  west,  the  other 
from  the  south-west.  Here  the  valley  opened  out  more. 
There  were  several  water  mills  along  the  stream,  and  a  great 
part  of  the  valley  and  part  of  the  hillsides  were  cultivated  ; 
but  the  mountains  towered  up  from  7,000  to  10,000  feet,  and 
the  tops  of  them  were  deeply  clad  in  snow. 

We  made  our  way  up  this  valley  by  a  zigzag  path,  and 
about  4  o'clock  arrived  at  the  old  castle.  It  is  situated 
on  the  spur  of  the  mountain  about  100  feet  above  the  stream. 
I  found  an  old  keeper  in  charge,  who  showed  us  the  three 
rooms  we  were  to  occupy. 

107 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

The  ground  storey  was  really  a  stable,  or  large  pen  for 
sheltering  stock,  but  there  were  very  few  animals  about,  as 
the  people  are  very  poor.  They  depend  for  a  livelihood 
on  the  timber  trade,  which  is  the  chief  industry  of  this  section 
of  the  country.  The  men  also  get  something  out  of  the 
hunting,  while  the  women  do  most  of  the  farming  and  attend 
to  the  water  mills  in  which  they  grind  their  grain.  We  went 
up  a  long  stone  staircase  and  entered  a  courtyard  about 
twenty-five  yards  square,  and  surrounded  by  a  parapet  which 
on  the  inside  was  about  three  feet  high,  but  when  you  looked 
over  the  wall  you  saw  it  was  quite  twenty-five  feet  to  the 
ground  on  the  outside.  Passing  through  a  long  hall  or  corridor, 
we  turned  to  our  left  and  found  a  suite  of  rooms,  which  were 
very  dark  and  dirty.  The  whole  castle  was  unoccupied, 
except  for  the  caretaker  and  an  old  Lama.  He  performed 
the  priestly  rites  in  the  presence  of  the  castle  idols  which 
have  their  lofty  abode  on  the  fourth  storey  of  the  building, 
and  which  are  of  the  same  obscene  character  as  those  found 
in  the  temple  at  Tunglingshan,  where  the  Tussu  lives. 

The  interior  of  the  castle  was  exceedingly  gloomy  ;  the 
dust  and  cobwebs  of  ages  hung  from  every  beam,  the  floors 
had  not  been  swept  for  years,  let  alone  washed — a  thing 
indeed  entirely  unheard  of  in  this  country.  Three  of  the 
best  rooms  in  the  castle  were  filled  with  maize-cobs  and  husks, 
which  were  stored  for  fuel :  when  these  were  turned  out  and 
the  rooms  cleaned  up  a  bit,  they  were  quite  habitable.  In 
this  country,  where  for  at  least  seven  or  eight  months  of  the 
year  but  little  rain  falls,  every  place  is  infested  with  fleas  ; 
and  when  we  began  to  move  about  in  the  dust  that  had  been 
lying  undisturbed  for  so  long,  it  was  like  stirring  up  a  bee's 
nest,  the  fleas  attacked  us  in  earnest,  and  in  the  morning 
we  were  all  as  much  spotted  as  if  we  had  had  measles. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  the  chief's  brother,  who  lives  near 
here,  called  and  chatted  till  late.     He  partook  of  supper  with 

1 08 


Huntino-  the   Panyani 


us,  which  consisted  every  day  of  bacon  and  eggs,  or  boiled 
rice  and  bacon  with  Chinese  scones  :  when  we  wanted  a 
change  we  reversed  the  order  and  had  scones  and  bacon. 
During  the  last  two  days  the  weather  had  been  very  fine, 
and  the  hunters  thought  the  snow  might  be  melted  off  the 
grass  country  above  the  tree-line,  so  we  decided  to  go  with 
them  to  the  top  of  Chienliangshan,  where  the  panyang  was 
to  be  found.  The  hunters  were  not  anxious  to  take  us  along, 
as  they  knew  the  road  was  very  difficult  and  in  places 
dangerous,  which  indeed  we  afterwards  found  out  for  our- 
selves. After  fitting  out  three  light  loads  of  20  lbs.  each, 
which  contained  our  bedding,  a  few  extra  garments  and  some 
provisions  consisting  of  about  5  lbs.  of  bacon,  10  lbs.  of  rice 
and  20  lbs.  of  flour  to  make  scones,  with  three  tin  cups,  frying 
pan  and  tea  kettle,  at  9  o'clock  we  left  the  castle,  and 
followed  the  stream  till  we  came  to  the  last  habitation,  where 
we  stopped  for  the  night.  Ii  was  a  miserable,  dirty  little 
hut ;  but  by  stretching  the  bamboo  mat  across  the  tie  beams 
in  the  roof,  which  were  about  two  feet  apart,  we  succeeded  in 
making  a  place  to  spread  our  beds  on.  Fearing  we  might 
not  have  sufficient  food,  we  here  bought  some  maize,  and 
during  the  evening  amused  ourselves  and  others  by  grinding 
it  in  a  hand  mill.  This  we  turned  by  means  of  poles  attached 
to  the  stones,  and  walking  round  and  round  till  we  were  quite 
dizzy,  we  finally  managed  to  turn  our  maize  into  meal. 

Next  morning  we  started  out  at  daybreak,  and  soon  got 
into  deep  snow  drifts,  some  of  them  very  treacherous,  not 
to  say  dangerous.  The  banks  of  stone  along  the  river  bed 
were  covered  with  a  smooth  coating  of  snow,  which  would 
break  through  after  one  or  two  persons  had  passed  over  ; 
we  took  turns  in  disappearing  through  the  snow  into  the  pits 
below,  but  fortunately  no  one  got  hurt.  Farther  on,  we  had 
to  make  a  road  through  the  thicket  of  dwarf  bamboo  bearing 
a  load  of  snow  which  bent  the  trees  almost  to  the  ground. 

109 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


This  was  cold  wet  work,  for  the  moment  we  touched  one  of 
these  trees  a  load  of  ice  and  snow  was  deposited  on  our  heads 
and  necks.  The  path  next  ran  along  the  face  of  the  chff, 
on  slippery  poles,  sometimes  horizontal,  sometimes  at  an  angle 
of  10  or  15  degrees.  These  poles  were  pinned  to  the 
rocks  or  suspended  by  the  vine  ropes.  Next,  we  had  to  cross 
and  re-cross  the  stream  on  bridges,  and  what  bridges  !  Just  a 
tree  eight  inches  in  diameter,  lying  from  bank  to  bank  and  on 
top  of  it  a  crust  of  snow  and  ice  six  inches  thick.  If  this  crust 
broke  or  the  passenger  lost  his  balance,  the  only  issue  was  a 
leap  of  thirty  feet  into  the  rocky  bed  of  the  roaring  torrent.  The 
hunters  walked  boldly  across  these  bridges  and  we  followed, 
treading  in  their  footmarks.  The  brave  coolies,  with  20  lbs. 
on  their  backs,  followed  in  our  steps,  and  seemed  to  think 
little  of  it,  so  that  we  could  not  feel  proud  of  our  performance. 
We  struggled  on  thus  for  miles,  crossing  and  recrossing  the 
stream,  and  at  last  turned  sharply  off  and  climbed  a  zigzag 
path  up  the  side  of  the  mountain,  the  incline  of  which  could 
not  have  been  less  than  60  degrees.  The  snow  was  not  so 
deep  here,  but  quite  enough  to  make  it  very  slippery  walking. 
However,  by  much  struggling  on  hands  and  knees,  we  gradually 
reached  the  belt  of  white  firs,  which  begins  at  about  8,000  feet 
above  the  sea,  and  continues  to  10,000  feet.  Then  we  passed 
on  through  the  rhododendrons,  some  of  which  were  showing 
a  few  buds. 

A  few  months  later  the  forest  of  white  fir  would  ring  with 
the  sound  of  the  axe  of  the  woodman,  who  comes  all  this  way 
to  fell  these  trees,  which  he  roughly  squares  into  coffin  boards 
and  sticks  of  timber,  and  carries  on  his  back  to  one  of  the 
towns  on  the  banks  of  the  Min,  there  to  sell  tliem  for  a  few 
shilhngs  apiece  to  the  wood  merchants.  But  now  all  was 
still,  and  in  silence  we  toiled  on  till  we  emerged  from  the 
rhododendron  thickets  into  the  grass  land.  We  hunted  about 
for  some  time,  seeking  for  a  place  where  we  could  spend  the 


Huntins>-  the   Panyant 


night,  and  were  about  to  camp  under  a  shelving  rock  when 
some  of  the  himters,  who  were  higher  up  the  mountain  side, 
shouted  for  us  to  chmb  on ;  so,  after  tramping  through  deep 
snow  drifts  and  over  cliffs  for  another  hour,  we  found  the 
remains  of  another  hut,  which  had  been  made  by  the  herb 
diggers  the  previous  year.  Here  the  snow  had  almost  dis- 
appeared, and  the  tufts  of  grass,  yellow  from  the  frosty  winds 


OUR    CAMl'    AT    CHIENLIANGSHAN. 

of  the  past  winter,  stood  out  against  the  barren  crags  that 
dotted  the  mountain  side. 

Far  above  us  towered  a  great  range,  its  peaks  covered 
with  eternal  snow.  The  coolies  arrived  shortly  after  us,  but 
one  of  them  had  fallen  over  a  cliff  and  had  knocked  out  most 
of  his  front  teeth.  Just  after  dark  it  grew  bitterly  cold  and 
began  to  snow,  and  as  the  coolies  had  no  bedding  with  them, 
and  none  too  much  clothing  for  this  temperature,  they  had 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


to  take  most  of  the  wood  off  the  roof  of  the  hut  in  order  to 
keep  a  fire  burning  for  the  night.  Next  day  it  was  still  snowing 
heavily,  but  the  men  decided  to  go  out  and  get  some  firewood, 
so  putting  on  their  sandals  and  climbing  irons,  they  descended 
to  the  tree  level  and  later  returned  with  huge  bundles  of 
wood.  It  was  impossible  to  see  any  distance,  and  we  remained 
in  camp  all  day.  By  the  following  morning  it  had  ceased 
snowing,  and  although  the  sun  was  not  visible  from  where 
we  were,  we  could  see  its  rays  flashing  with  dazzling  brilliancy 
on  a  huge  ice  peak  which  shone  up  behind  us  another  8,000 
or  10,000  feet.  After  some  hours  the  sun  drove  away  the 
clouds  which  had  hung  over  the  lower  ranges  in  the  early 
morning,  and  by  10  o'clock  was  shining  brightly  on  us.  Our 
camp  was  about  11,600  feet  above  sea-level,  and  from  here 
we  set  out  for  the  haunts  of  the  wild  sheep  still  thousands 
of  feet  higher.  The  newly-fallen  snow  was  knee-deep,  and  the 
glare  of  the  sun  on  it  was  so  powerful  that  after  going  about 
a  mile,  Meares  became  perfectly  snow-blind,  and  returned 
to  camp,  finding  his  way  with  great  difficulty  by  feeling  with 
his  hand  the  track  we  had  made  in  ascending.  Brooke, 
two  hunters  and  myself  climbed  on  over  some  very  rough 
ground  and  came  upon  a  flock  of  peimuhchi,  a  bird  as  large 
as  a  turkey,  which  lives  on  these  mountains.  Brooke  had  a 
shot  at  them,  but  as  he,  too,  was  almost  snow-blind  by  this 
time,  he  did  not  succeed  in  killing  one.  The  light  was  such 
that  it  was  impossible  to  judge  the  distance.  We  found 
afterwards  that  the  birds  were  not  more  than  60  yards  away, 
but  thought  they  were  more  than  100  yards  when  he  fired. 
The  mist  was  now  closing  in  on  us  again,  and  seeing  that  it 
was  useless  to  attempt  to  hunt  in  such  weather  we  decided 
to  return  to  camp.  The  little  hunter  who  was  our  guide  said, 
'*  This  is  the  shortest  way  back,"  and  sitting  down  on  the 
steep  snow  slope,  he  shot  off  into  the  mist  and  disappeared. 
This  was  all  very  well,  but  in  a  country  which  is   mostly 


Hunting   the    Panyiing-. 

precipitous,  the  longest  way  round  is  often  the  safest  way 
home,  so  we  retraced  our  steps  by  the  way  we  had  come,  and 
returned  safely  to  find  that  the  little  hunter  had  arrived 
long  before  us,  and  after  having  finished  his  evening  meal 
was  comfortably  warming  himself  by  the  fire.  The  next 
morning  it  was  still  snowing,  so  we  determined  to  retrace 
our  steps  to  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  We  packed  up  our 
things,  and  cut  for  ourselves  strong  alpine-stocks  in  preparation 
for  the  dangerous  descent.  It  was  a  difficult  task  to  find  our 
way  back  as  our  track  was  completely  obliterated  ;  but  it 
took  much  less  time  to  get  down  the  mountain  than  it  did 
to  ascend  it,  and  in  many  places  we  shot  quickly  down  the 
slopes  in  a  sitting  position,  holding  on  to  the  branches  of  trees 
to  keep  ourselves  from  going  too  fast.  On  our  way  back 
we  passed  a  wonderful  hot  sulphur  spring  which  was  building 
for  itself  a  marvellously  coloured  basin  ;  its  waters  were 
so  hot  that  we  could  scarcely  bear  to  dip  our  hand  in  them. 
We  reached  the  castle  at  Tsaopo  the  same  day  without  any- 
thing to  show  for  our  trouble.  The  next  morning  we  went 
on  to  the  hills  near  the  castle,  where  there  were  a  number  of 
goral  about,  one  of  which  I  picked  off  the  top  of  a  rock  at 
1,000  yards,  much  to  the  admiration  of  the  natives,  and  Mr. 
Brooke  shot  another  a  few  minutes  later,  which  the  dogs 
brought  to  him.  The  following  day  was  a  blank,  but  we 
enjoyed  life  while  waiting  on  our  game-runs  in  the  warm 
sunshine,  with  snow  mountain  piled  upon  snow  mountain  in 
view,  contrasted  with  a  brilliant  blue  sky.  Many  a  man  has 
travelled  thousands  of  miles  to  see  a  sight  not  half  so  mag- 
nificent. We  discovered  that  the  panyang  we  had  gone 
after  was  the  "  blue  sheep  "  (Ovis-nahura),  or  the  Tibetan 
Nawa,  "  the  Bhural  of  India."  These  are  common  all  over 
this  part  of  the  country  between  the  tree-limit  and  the  snow- 
line, that  is,  from  12,000  to  17,000  feet.  The  old  males 
leave  the  females  in  June  or  July  and  live  by  themselves. 
(11243)  n3  ^ 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


Both  sexes  have  horns,  but  the  horns  of  the  females  are  much 
smaller  than  those  of  the  males.  They  have  the  habit  of 
always  grazing  near  rocky  ground,  in  which  they  take  shelter 
when  startled  by  any  strange  object.  And  they  always  post 
a  sentry  when  feeding.  He  stands  amid  some  jagged  rocks 
where  he  has  a  good  view,  and  where  it  is  impossible  to  dis- 
tinguish him  from  the  surroundings.  He  does  not  move  his 
head,  and  one  is  attracted  to  him,  if  at  all,  only  by  the  sudden 
bound  he  takes  when  leaving  his  watch  tower,  and  which 
is  the  signal  to  his  companions  that  it  is  time  to  be  off.  The 
natives  first  told  me  this  story,  and  later,  when  crossing  a 
high  range  in  July  where  these  animals  were  feeding,  I  had 
occasion  to  prove  its  truth. 

Although  I  joined  the  hunting  party  for  a  few  days,  I  tried 
not  to  forget  my  own  special  work  among  these  people,  and 
always  had  books  with  me  to  give  to  the  mountain  dwellers, 
whenever  I  came  in  contact  with  them.  While  in  the  old 
castle,  I  found  the  Lama  had  procured  a  copy  of  the  Gospel 
from  me  on  a  former  visit,  and  had  read  it  frequently,  for  it 
was  well  thumbed  and  worn.  This  copy  he  took  from  the 
shelf,  and,  turning  up  several  passages  which  he  could  not 
understand,  I  tried  to  explain  them  to  him.  During  the 
past  two  weeks  I  had  learned  to  understand  these  people 
better  than  ever  before,  and  they  had  come  to  look  on  me 
as  a  friend.  We  had  many  long  chats  about  their  difficulties 
and  social  problems  which  constantly  confront  them.  Some 
of  them  expressed  the  hope  that  the  Chinese  would  soon  do 
away  with  the  existing  feudal  system,  and  accept  them  as 
Chinese  subjects.  Many  of  them  say  the  burden  imposed  on 
them  by  their  chiefs  and  princes,  together  with  the  tribute 
that  has  to  be  collected  by  the  Chinese  Government,  is  greater 
than  they  can  bear.  Some  of  them  would  gladly  make  friends 
with  the  missionaries  and  even  join  themselves  to  the  Church 
in  the  hope  that  they  might  be  in  some  way  released  from  their 

114 


1  luiuiiiL;-  the    Panyan^:;-. 

bondage  of  feudal  service  imposed  upon  them  ;  but,  of  course, 
the  missionary  can  offer  them  nothing  in  this  direction.  These 
were  burning  questions  with  them,  but  they  would  only  speak 
of  them  in  a  whisper,  and  to  those  who  are  their  friends. 
What  these  people  need  is  education,  that  they  may  be  able 
to  take  their  place  in  the  nation,  and  that  they  may  hnd 
their  place  in  God's  kingdom. 

I  had  now  to  return  to  my  work  at  Clientu,  and  left  the 
party  to  continue  their  wandering  alone. 


(11243)  115 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Hunting  the  Serow. 

jMessrs.  Brooke  and  Meares  decided  that  they  must  try 
and  get  a  serow  before  leaving  this  part  of  the  country,  so  on 
March  25th  they  started  off  with  some  hunters  and  their  dogs 
to  Taokwan  valley,  which  is  a  famous  place  for  these  animals. 
They  pitched  their  tent  in  a  nice  httle  spot  near  the  banks 
of  the  stream  and  hunted  for  some  days,  but  shot  nothing 
but  a  few  small  deer.  There  were  plenty  of  serow  about,  but 
the  dogs  were  afraid  to  tackle  them.  Finding  it  useless  to 
continue  with  the  dogs  they  had,  they  struck  camp  and  went 
down  to  Taokwan,  a  village  from  which  the  valley  derives 
its  name,  and  there  secured  two  good  hunters  with  four  ex- 
cellent dogs.  One  of  these  men  had  been  with  us  on  Chien- 
liang  mountain.  Thus  equipped  they  returned  to  their 
camping  ground,  and  hardly  had  they  set  out  when  the  dogs 
got  on  the  track  of  a  serow.  The  hunters  were  all  waiting 
on  the  game-run  on  the  top  of  the  ridge,  when  Meares  thought 
he  heard  the  sound  of  an  animal  in  the  brushwood  below  ; 
but  his  hunter  declared  there  was  nothing,  and  suggested 
that  he  should  go  down  and  watch  another  game-run  on  the 
other  side.  He  did  so,  and  subsequent  proceedings  in- 
terested him  no  more. 

Hardly  had  he  left,  than  four  dogs,  closely  followed  by  a 
hunter,  dashed  past  him  through  the  undergrowth  ;  an 
animal  had  passed  quite  close  without  their  having  seen  it. 
Wang  at  once  drew  his  curved  knife  and  slashed  his  way 
down  the  steep  hillside  through  the  briars  and  thorns.    Brooke 


I  luntinL;-  the   Scrow. 

followed  him,  slidhig,  running,  faUing,  anything  to  catch  up 
with  the  dogs,  which  were  now  chasing  tlie  serow  down  the 
river  bed  toward  Taokwan.  Around  a  waterfall  which  poured 
over  a  huge  boulder  they  found  four  dogs  barking,  and  made 
a  cave  underneath.  Wang  declared  that  the  serow  had 
taken  refuge  under  the  boulder,  and  Brooke  nearly  drowned 
himself  trying  to  get  under  to  see.  Another  hunter  now 
arrived  on  the  scene,  and  immediately  stripping  off  his  clothes 
made  another  attempt  to  get  into  the  cave,  but  without 
success. 

They  then  dammed  up  part  of  the  river  with  stones  and 
turned  aside  enough  of  the  stream  to  allow  him  to  get  under 
the  rock,  but  found  nothing.  The  owner  of  the  pack  now 
arrived  on  the  scene,  and  declared  that  the  serow  had  gone 
down  the  stream,  so  they  again  raced  on  and  came  to  a  group 
of  Chinamen  staring  in  the  vacant  way  they  sometimes 
have  when  greatly  surprised.  On  going  across  to  inquire 
if  they  had  seen  anything  of  the  animal,  there,  lying  in  their 
midst,  they  found  a  fine  serow,  with  its  throat  cut  and  its 
legs  badly  hacked,  and  beside  it  a  Chinaman  badly  gored. 
Brooke  did  what  he  could  for  the  poor  victim  and  had  him 
taken  to  a  neighbouring  house.  He  wanted  to  send  him  into 
the  hospital  at  Chentu,  but  the  man  refused  to  go,  and,  after 
lingering  for  some  days,  he  died.  It  appears  that  the  two 
dogs  bayed  the  serow,  and  the  Chinese,  thinking  that  there 
was  money  to  be  made,  attacked  the  animal  with  clubs.  It 
charged,  and  drove  its  horns  through  one  of  them.  One  of 
the  party  succeeded  in  ham-stringing  the  animal,  and  in 
some  way  they  managed  to  kill  him.  In  the  meantime  Meares 
had  gone  to  the  top  of  the  mountain  opposite  and  returned 
to  camp  in  time  to  meet  them  coming  in  with  the  dead  serow. 

Next  day  they  hunted  up  the  left  hand  valley,  and  early 
in  the  morning  sent  out  hunters  to  act  as  stops  along  the 
tops  of  the  hills.     Meares  was  posted  at  a  point  lialf  way  up 

117 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


the  mountain  on   one  side   of  the  stream,   and  Brooke  was 
higher  up  on  the  opposite  bank. 

As  Meares  was  going  up  into  his  position  he  again  got  a 
ghmpse  of  a  serow  dashing  through  the  trees,  but  could  not 
get  a  shot  at  it.  The  dogs  soon  got  on  its  track,  and  after 
a  long  chase  drove  him  right  past  Brooke,  who  dropped 
him  at  forty  yards.  It  was  a  fine  female,  and  a  good  match 
for  the  male  they  had  secured  the  previous  day.  One  of  the 
dogs  was  still  hunting  something,  and  finally  drove  another 
serow  past  Brooke,  which  also  he  shot  ;  but  this  one  was 
immature. 

The  following  day  Meares  stayed  in  camp  to  prepare  the 
skins,  while  Brooke  went  out  in  the  neighbouring  hills.  After 
working  a  short  time  Meares  heard  a  tremendous  row,  and 
picking  up  his  rifle  went  out  to  find  the  dogs  driving  a  serow 
right  towards  the  camp,  and  it  went  to  bay  on  the  ledge  of 
a  rock  not  more  than  lOO  yards  away.  He  tried  to  get  a 
shot  at  it,  but  could  not  for  fear  of  hitting  the  dogs,  which 
were  all  over  him.  Finally  one  of  the  hunters  shot  the  beast 
at  close  quarters. 

This  finished  the  serow  hunt,  and  they  struck  camp  and 
returned  to  Wenchuan.  The  Mandarin  prepared  a  great 
feast  in  their  honour,  and  gave  them  the  chief  seats,  making 
himself  very  agreeable.  He  plied  them  with  many  ques- 
tions— no  doubt  his  chief  object  being  to  find  out  their  busi- 
ness and  their  intentions  regarding  their  future  movements. 
They  had  the  advantage  of  not  being  too  familiar  with  the 
language  which  he  spoke,  he  being  Cantonese,  and,  as  their 
interpreter  was  at  another  table,  it  was  a  very  simple  matter 
to  say  "  Putong,"  that  is,  "  I  don't  understand,"  to  any 
question  they  felt  was  unnecessary  to  answer.  As  it  was 
important  for  Brooke  to  go  to  Chentu  to  have  some  dental 
work  done — for  he  had  suffered  much  during  the  past  month 
with  his  teeth — it  was  sufficient  in  reply  to  their  host's  ques- 

ii8 


Huntincj  the  Serow. 


tion  to  give  this  as  their  ])urp()sc,  and  to  add  that  Meares 
was  going  down  as  far  as  Yinlisiuwan,  the  lumber  centre, 
two  days  to  the  south.  It  rather  reheved  the  Mandarin's 
mind  to  feel  he  was  getting  rid  of  these  strangers,  who  had 
been  wandering  about  on  the  hills  and  valleys  of  this  neigh- 
bourhood for  more  than  a  month.  He  w^as  politeness  itself, 
however,  and  they  parted  on  the  most  friendly  terms. 

On  their  journey  down  they  met  two  hunters  who  had  just 


MR.    BROOKE    AND    HIS    FIRSl 


caught  a  young  takin,  which  they  offered  for  sale.  Brooke 
jumped  at  the  chance  of  securing  the  first  specimen  of  this 
animal,  for  when  he  left  England  there  was  not  a  live  one 
in  the  Zoo,  and  this  wonderful  little  creature  was  very  much 
prized  by  us  all.  He  was  low  set,  had  very  heavy  legs,  and 
was  about  as  large  as  a  three  months'  old  lamb,  only  much 
heavier,  rather  clumsy  in  his  gait,  but  not  at  all  wild  or  timid  : 
there  was  not  much  trouble  to  teach  it  to  take  its  food  first 

119 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

from  a  bottle,  and  later  out  of  a  dish.  Brooke  had  him 
carried  to  Chentu,  where  we  cared  for  him  for  nearly  three 
weeks.  He  grew  to  be  a  most  affectionate  little  creature, 
and  would  follow  us  all  about  our  compound  like  a  little 
dog,  even  coming  into  the  house  at  times.  Meares  sent  down 
a  young  goral  a  few  days  later,  so  we  had  both  these  animals 
going  about  the  courtyard,  and  they  became  really  good 
friends.  The  young  goral  soon  made  friends  with  our  cow, 
and  was  most  anxious  to  help  milk  her.  One  morning,  un- 
fortunately, the  cow  stepped  on  the  goral's  leg  and  broke 
it  ;  we  did  all  we  could  for  the  poor  beast,  but  after  lingering 
a  few  days  he  died.  The  takin  seemed  to  do  well  for  quite 
three  weeks,  when  suddenly  one  morning,  after  taking  its 
breakfast,  it  appeared  sickly,  and  that  day  refused  to  take 
any  more  food,  and  died  during  the  night. 

For  the  loss  of  this  most  valuable  animal  Brooke  blamed 
his  boy,  who  had  given  it  some  sour  milk  the  morning  it  took 
ill,  and  had  not  been  careful  about  scalding  out  the  dish  from 
which  it  fed.  We  found  this  out,  however,  when  it  was  too 
late. 

Meares  soon  secured  a  hunter  to  go  with  him,  who 
proved  himself  an  excellent  cliff  climber  as  well  as  a  good 
marksman.  He  knew  every  inch  of  the  country,  and  thought 
nothing  of  going  into  the  most  precipitous  places,  pene- 
trating every  nook  and  cranny  where  the  game  peculiar  to 
this  country  is  likely  to  hide.  He  was  also  quite  a  naturalist, 
knowing  the  habits  of  the  various  animals,  as  well  as  their 
haunts  and  calls.  Meares  found  him  a  most  congenial  com- 
panion and  a  good  sportsman,  his  one  fault  being  that  he 
smoked  opium,  though  only  at  night  when  they  returned 
from  the  chase.  He  writes  of  his  hunting  expedition  thus  : — 
"  As  my  new  guide  believed  in  still  hunting  we  started  off 
without  dogs,  taking  nothing  but  a  small  lunch  in  our  pockets. 
Our  object  was  to  follow  the  goral  to  his  own  hunting  ground 


Hunting  the  Serow. 


on  the  face  of  tlie  cliffs.  This  is  very  dangerous  work,  as 
they  make  their  homes  on  the  most  precipitous  places,  and 
hide  in  the  caves  and  crevices  of  the  rocks.  The  only  way 
to  get  to  them,  when  still  hunting,  is  to  walk  along  the  narrow 
ledges,  sometimes  with  a  sheer  drop  of  i,ooo  feet  and  only 
a  few  inches  of  shelving  rock  to  stand  on  ;  but  generally  there 
are  small  trees  and  shrubs  growing  out  of  the  cracks  of  the 
rocks,  that  afford  one  a  hand  hold  while  carefully  treading 
one's  way  along  these  dangerous  ledges.  The  little  hunter 
was  so  used  to  his  work  that  he  could  trot  over  places  that 
made  my  head  swim,  and  he  would  lean  his  body  out  over 
the  side  of  the  cliffs  in  search  of  game  to  such  an  extent  that 
I  often  feared  for  his  safety,  and  expected  to  see  him  go 
dashing  on  the  rocks  below  at  any  minute.  There  was  no 
need  for  alarm,  however,  on  my  part,  so  far  as  his  safety 
was  concerned,  for  I  soon  found  out  that  he  knew  his  business 
thoroughly,  and  that  my  whole  concern  need  be  about  myself 
and  the  game  we  expected  to  see  at  any  minute.  He  would 
place  me  on  an  important  game-run,  then  circle  round.  If 
he  started  anything  and  could  not  get  a  shot  at  it  he  drove 
it  towards  me,  and  we  never  returned  empty-handed  during 
the  days  we  hunted  in  this  locality. 

"  One  day  I  hit  a  big  wild  boar  and  broke  his  shoulder. 
He  went  to  bay  in  some  long  grass.  The  little  hunter  at 
once  rushed  in  after  him  and  gave  him  a  charge  of  buckshot 
at  close  range,  which  so  disgusted  the  boar  that  he  threw 
himself  over  the  cliff,  and  we  found  him  dead  and  vcr^-  much 
mangled  on  the  stones  at  the  bottom.  He  was  the  largest 
wild  boar  I  had  ever  seen  ;  one  of  his  hind  legs  had  been 
broken  at  some  time  but  had  mended  again. 

"  The  hard  hunting  on  the  cliff  day  after  day  was  too  much 
for  me,  and  the  tendon  of  my  heel  got  strained  and  swollen 
to  double  its  size.  With  a  great  effort  I  managed  to  get 
to  my  inn  and  had  to  lie  up  the  next  day.     So  Tussu  arrived 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

in  the  evening  and  put  up  in  the  same  inn.  A  httle  later 
a  runner  came  in  with  the  news  that  So  Tussu's  castle  was 
being  attacked  by  brigands,  and  begged  him  to  hurry  to 
the  rescue.  The  Chief  pleaded  with  me  to  accompany  him 
and  bring  my  rifle  along,  offering  his  horse  for  me  to  ride 
on.  Seeing  he  was  in  trouble  I  decided  to  go  along  ;  so 
bhstered  my  heel  to  reduce  the  swelling,  and  next  morning 
we  started  off  early.  After  two  days'  forced  marching  we 
reached  the  castle  where  the  old  Tussu,  So's  father,  lived. 
On  our  arrival  we  were  told  that  the  robbers  had  heard  of 
our  coming,  and  had  retreated  into  the  mountains,  and  we 
heard  nothing  more  of  them  during  my  stay.  The  old  castle 
is  situated  at' Sanchiangkou  [i.e.,  Three  Rivers  Mouth].  The 
castle  is  hid  away  in  the  mountains  in  a  very  picturesque 
place,  where  three  streams,  one  coming  from  the  west,  one 
from  the  north,  and  one  from  the  east,  join.  This  was  once 
the  southern  capital  of  the  States,  and  is  quite  a  typical  Mantze 
castle.  Over  lOO  years  ago  the  Prince  was  asked  by  the 
Viceroy  of  Szechwan  to  move  from  here  to  Tunglin,  where 
the  northern  capital  now  stands,  so  as  to  be  near  the  Chinese 
official  at  Wenchuan,  who  is  nominally  responsible  for  the 
affairs  of  the  Wassu  State,  and  through  whom  all  reports 
to  the  Chinese  Government  is  made. 

"  I  spent  a  few  days  getting  some  very  interesting  fossils, 
which  are  quite  plentiful  in  these  valleys.  The  country  is 
very  mountainous,  with  out-crops  of  limestone,  and  in  some 
places  granite,  quartz  and  mica  schist  are  to  be  found  ;  but 
as  I  am  not  a  geologist  I  will  not  attempt  to  give  a  full  de- 
scription of  the  geological  structure  of  this  country,  but  I 
feel  sure  it  will  prove  a  very  interesting  field  for  the  scientist. 

"  I  started  back  to  the  inn  in  Yinhsiuwan  on  horseback, 
but  on  the  second  day  my  horse  broke  down  and  I  had  to 
finish  my  journey  on  foot,  and  arrived  very  much  of  a  wreck. 
I  laid  up  for  some  days,  and  watched  the  rafts  being  built 


Hunting  the  Serow 


which  were  to  shoot  the  rapids  for  a  distance  of  thirty  miles  down 
to  Kwanhsien.  The  square  sticks  of  timber  are  fastened 
together  into  long  narrow  rafts,  the  logs  being  laid  over- 
lapping each  other,  and  then  fastened  together  with  ropes 
of  twisted  bamboo,  which  are  lashed  up  tight  and  then  driven 
firm  with  wedges.     The  result  is  a  raft  that  is  firm  and  yet 


THE  GORAL  SHOT  BY  THE  AUTHOR  A'l 


,000  YARl 


pliable.  One  long  oar  is  mounted  on  the  bow  and  another 
on  the  stern.  When  all  is  ready  six  men  are  lashed  to  each 
oar,  the  ropes  are  cut,  and  off  goes  the  raft  dashing  through 
the  rapids,  water  breaking  over  the  heads  of  the  men,  who 
are  straining  at  the  oars  to  avoid  the  rocks  that  croj)  up 
everywhere.     I  saw  one  raft  strike  a  rock,  and  not  only  was 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppe 


the  raft  broken  apart,  but  the  very  logs  werts  snapped  into 
pieces  hke  so  many  dry  twigs,  and  only  three  out  of  the  twelve 
men  on  the  raft  got  ashore  ;  the  rest  were  drowned.  The 
men  who  do  this  work  have  wonderful  nerve,  but  a  large 
number  of  them  annually  find  a  watery  grave." 

While  Meares  was  waiting  at  Yinhsiuwan  some  hunters 
brought  in  another  young  goral  alive,  and  he  sent  it  on  to 
Brooke  at  Chentu  ;  but,  unfortunately,  it  also  died,  the 
heat  of  the  plain  seeming  to  be  too  much  for  it.  Another 
hunter  brought  in  two  golden-haired  monkeys  he  had  just 
shot.  These  were  carefully  skinned  and  forwarded  to  Chentu, 
and  one  of  them  is  now  mounted  in  the  South  Kensington 
Natural  History  Museum.  These  monkeys  are  remarkable 
animals  :  they  have  bright  blue  faces  and  dark  brown  eyes ; 
their  nose  looks  as  if  a  bright  blue  butterfly  was  sitting  with  its 
wings  open  in  the  middle  of  their  face  ;  they  have  a  long  golden 
mane  down  their  back.  At  Kwanhsien  I  saw  a  skin  with 
hair  eighteen  inches  long  and  valued  at  £12  15s.  These  skins 
are  collected  and  sent  to  the  Imperial  Family,  and  when 
made  up  into  garments  are  allowed  to  be  worn  by  them  only. 


CHAPTER   X. 

Haunts  of  the  Budorcas. 

When   I  returned  to  Chentu  at  the  end  of  March  I  found 
plenty  of  work  awaiting  me,  but  by  working  hard  early  and 
late  I  soon  overtook  it,  and  on  May  lo  again  set  out  on  one 
of  my  long  tours  through  the  semi-independent  States,  called 
by  the   Chinese   Mantze   Land   (the  Land  of  the  Barbarian). 
This  trip  had  been  planned  in  the  previous  autumn,  when  I 
made  out   my  annual  report.     Mr.  Brooke,  on  learning  of  my 
intention  to  take  this  journey,  was  anxious  to  accompany  me, 
so  made  his  plans  accordingly.     When  I  reached  Wenchuen  I 
found  him  and  Mr.  Meares  awaiting  my  arrival.    I  immediately 
went  to  see  Prince  So,  to  try  and  get  a  letter  of  introduction 
to  some  of  the  princes  of  the  interior  States  through  which 
I  wished  to  travel.     I  was  much  disappointed,  however,  to 
hear  that  he  had  not  yet  returned  from  his  southern  capital, 
but  his  secretary  informed  me  that  he  expected  him  any  day, 
and  that  he  had  sent  word  that  he  had  already  started  for 
home.     It  was  important  to  have  a  letter  from  him,  as  the 
territory  through  which  I  hoped  to  travel  had  not  previously 
been  visited  by  any  foreigners,  and  the  letters  he  gave  me 
on  former  occasions  had  been  a  great  help  while  travelhng  in 
the  Central  States  of  Somo,  Drukagi,  Ranga,  Damba,  Chos- 
schia,  Bawang,  Bati,  Gaishechia,  and  also  on  my  journey  over 
the  Hungchiao  Pass  and  in  the  Muping  State.     This  time  my 
plan  was  to  get  farther  north  and  cross  through  Ngaba,Ngolok 
and  Youkoh  States,  then  down  through  Gaishechia,  a  journey 
Avhich  would  take  at  least  three  months.     I  had  a  large  supply 


125 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes, 


of  Scriptures  with  me  to  distribute  among  the  priests  and 
any  people  who  could  read.  The  Tibetan  Scriptures  are 
taught  throughout  this  section  of  the  country,  but  the  spoken 
language  would  not  be  understood  in  Tibet  proper.  I  had  a 
friend  at  Tsakalao  who,  I  knew,  would  give  me  a  letter  to 
some  of  these  chiefs  ;  but  on  former  journeys  I  had  started 
from  this  point,  and  kept  my  connection  right  through  by 
being  handed  from  one  prince  to  another,  thus  going  from 
State  to  State ;  and  I  felt  it  very  important  to  adhere  to  a 
plan  which  formerly  had  proved  so  successful. 

Having  decided  that  it  was  best  to  wait  the  return  of  the 
Prince,  we  planned  to  spend  a  few  days  visiting  the  Changmin 
villages,  which  are  to  be  found  far  up  the  mountain  side. 
Many  of  these  villages  are  also  hid  away  in  deep  valleys, 
where  they  cannot  be  seen  from  the  main  road.  On  hearing 
that  another  party  was  on  their  way  up  to  hunt  the  takin 
in  these  mountains,  we  thought  it  might  be  worth  our  while 
to  see  if  these  Changmin  people  knew  anything  about  these 
strange  animals,  the  budorcas  or  takins,  and  their  haunts, 
as  it  was  reported  that  they  captured  a  great  number  of  them 
every  year. 

On  the  street  we  had  a  Mohammedan  friend,  who  has  a 
great  deal  to  do  with  the  Changmin  people.  At  the  present 
time  he  owns  much  of  the  land  occupied  by  them,  having 
taken  mortgages  on  their  property,  which  they  have  not  been 
able  to  redeem  ;  their  deeds  have  fallen  into  his  hands,  and 
they  now  find  themselves  renting  their  lands  from  him. 
Indeed,  he  has  almost  as  much  power  over  the  Changmin  as 
Prince  So  has  over  the  Wassu  people. 

This  Mohammedan  started  life  as  a  poor  boy,  selling  scones 
on  the  street  at  four  a  penny.  Having  shrewd  business  capacity, 
his  fortune  has  grown  until,  at  the  age  of  65,  he  owns  over 
200  mules,  which  carry  much  of  the  goods  passing  between 
Songpan  and  Kwanshien.     He  buys  up  all  the  gold  and  musk 

126 


Haunts  of  the    Budorcas. 


of  the  district,  supplies  the  farmers  with  seed  grain,  and  in 
the  autumn  buys  up  any  produce  they  may  have  to  dispose 
of.  He  is  also  squire  of  the  country  side,  and  tries  more  cases 
than  the  magistrate,  since  every  case  which  reaches  the  higher 
officials  must  first  pass  through  his  hands ;  and  many  cases 
are  settled  without  going  further,  he  receiving  a  small  fee  for 
his  trouble  per  case.  He  is  now  very  wealthy,  and  by  far 
the  most  influential  man  in  this  part  of  the  country  ;  and 
even  the  mandarins  borrow  large  sums  of  money  from  him 
when  they  wish  to  purchase  billets.  Mr.  Ma  has  been  very 
friendly  to  me  for  some  years,  and  to  have  him  on  one's  side 
implies  practically  the  whole  of  the  Changmin  and  Chinese 
community. 

We  inquired  of  him  about  the  haunts  of  the  takin  and 
the  people  who  five  in  the  valleys  and  mountains  to  the  north- 
west. He  at  once  supplied  us  with  a  guide  and  sent  word  to 
the  headman  of  one  of  the  Changmin  villages,  hid  away  in 
a  deep  valley  surrounded  by  lofty  mountains.  Though  no 
foreigner  had  penetrated  this  valley  before,  we  found  the 
headman  and  many  of  the  people  awaiting  our  arrival  on  the 
commons  outside  the  village  ;  they  gave  us  a  hearty  welcome, 
and  escorted  us  to  apartments  provided  by  the  headman. 
We  spent  a  pleasant  afternoon  chatting  with  the  people,  who 
freely  gathered  about  us  ;  and  as  they  offered  to  supply 
hunters  to  guide  us  to  a  place  where  they  claimed  that  the 
takin  roamed  in  herds,  we  decided  to  go  up  with  the  hunters 
and  see  if  we  could  secure  some  of  these  animals. 

The  next  morning  we  started  early,  taking  supphes  for  three 
days,  and  followed  up  a  small  stream  which  we  crossed  and 
recrossed  hundreds  of  times,  having  to  wade  sometimes  nearly 
waist  deep  through  the  cold  water,  which  came  rushing 
down  from  the  snow-clad  peaks  all  about  us.  By  noon  we 
came  to  a  deserted  lumberman's  hut,  and  as  it  was  raming, 
our  men  took  possession  of  it  to  prepare  dinner.  But  before 
(1 1243)  ^-9  '" 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


they  had  got  the  fire  well  kindled  they  came  rushing  out  as 
if  they  were  possessed,  some  of  them  rolling  on  the  gra'^s, 
others  beating  themselves  with  their  caps,  others  tearing 
off  their  clothes  in  such  a  wild  way  that  we  thought  they  must 
have  stirred  up  a  nest  of  deadly  vipers.  What  they  had 
actually  deranged  was  in  fact  a  nest  of  fleas,  but  such  fleas 
I  had  never  seen  before.  They  were  as  large  as  the  small 
black  fly  of  Canada  and  quite  as  ferocious.  The  faces,  hands, 
feet  and  clothing  of  the  coohes  were  hterally  covered  with  these 
creatures,  and  every  bite  left  a  great  red  blotch  ;  nor  could 
they  have  made  more  fuss  if  they  had  been  attacked  by  a 
nest  of  hornets.  Needless  to  say,  we  chose  another  camping 
ground  and  ate  our  dinner  in  the  pouring  rain. 

By  4  o'clock  we  were  in  a  dense  forest,  where  there  were 
plenty  of  takin  tracks,  but  these  not  very  fresh.  We  chmbed 
up  to  the  snow-line  and  there  found  an  old  woodcutter's  hut, 
built  out  of  coffin  boards  and  roofed  with  bark  ;  in  this  the 
coolies  took  shelter.  We  cut  some  spruce  boughs,  and  by 
propping  up  some  of  the  coffin  boards,  managed  to  make  a 
flat  place  on  the  side  of  the  mountain  on  which  to  spread 
out  our  beds,  and  put  up  our  tent  as  best  we  could ;  but  it 
was  impossible  to  get  room  to  stretch  it  tight  enough  to  keep 
it  from  leak'.ng.  We  were  a  forlorn-looking  lot  ;  our  clothing 
was  wet  through  and  even  our  bedding  none  too  dry,  and  the 
tent  was  leaking.  Fortunately  there  was  plenty  of  wood, 
so  we  built  a  huge  fire  in  the  coolies'  hut  and  sat  round  it, 
everyone  trying  to  dodge  the  streams  of  yellow  water  that 
streamed  through  the  leaking  roof. 

After  our  evening  meal  we  turned  in,  and  our  bed  of  wet 
boughs  seemed  really  comfortable  after  our  arduous  tramp. 
Towards  morning  we  heard  the  screeching  of  a  wild  animal  of 
some  kind,  but  none  of  us  were  sure  what  it  was. 

After  breakfast  we  all  started  out  in  various  directions, 
each  with  a  native  guide.     I  went  up  through  the  firs  to  the 


Haunts  of  the    Hudorcas. 


rhododendron  forest,  and  along  the  top  of  one  of  the  ridges 
where  the  snow  still  lay  deep  ;  but  all  I  could  find  were  tracks, 
most  of  which  were  several  days  old,  and  two  old  traps  set  to 
spear  animals  as  they  passed  over  the  game-ways.  These 
were  made  with  a  spring  pole,  on  the  end  of  which  had  been 
attached  a  sharp  knife  ;  there  was  a  trip  spring  which  the 
animal  would  strike  with  his  feet  and  release  the  spring  pole, 
which  would  drive  the  knife  through  his  side,  presumably 
just  behind  the  front  shoulder. 

These  traps  had  been  set  by  the  woodcutters  or  hunters 
the  previous  year.  The  knives  had  been  taken  away,  so  that 
when  we  saw  them  they  were  harmless  ;  but  one  of  our  guides 
showed  us  a  mark  in  his  thigh  where  one  of  these  knives  had 
been  driven  through  one  thigh  and  into  the  other  by  one 
of  these  spring  poles  or  traps,  and  the  hunter  needs  to  be  on 
the  look-out  when  tramping  through  a  forest. 

One  day,  while  we  were  sitting  on  the  top  of  one  of  the 
ridges  eating  our  lunch,  there  came  suddenly  a  great  crash 
and  roar  as  if  the  earth  had  spht  in  two,  and  even  the  hunters 
looked  aghast;  but  it  was  only  a  landshde,  and  part  of  one  of 
the  mountains  was  seen  sliding  down  into  the  valley.  In 
some  places  the  path  would  lead  us  along  a  narrow  ridge 
where  a  slip  of  the  foot  on  either  side  would  land  us  at  the 
foot  of  the  precipice  several  hundred  feet  below.  Again, 
we  would  climb  high  staircases  made  by  notching  a  log  and 
setting  it  on  end  against  thechff ;  in  other  places  sticks  of  wood 
were  tied  to  uprights  by  creepers,  and  up  these  we  had  to 
climb  until  it  made  our  heads  giddy  to  look  down.  How  the 
takin  makes  his  way  about  in  such  a  country  is  a  mystery  to 
me,  but  in  the  early  spring  here  he  is  to  be  found,  during  his 
short  period  of  migration  from  the  sheltered  valley  in  which 
he  has  passed  the  winter,  to  the  grassy  plains  where  he  feeds 
during  the  summer  months.  We  saw  plenty  of  fresh  tracks,  but 
unfortunately  did  not  meet  one  of  these  wonderful  creatures. 
(11243)  131  K  z 


Sport  and   Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


The  spell  that  sometimes  comes  over  one;  standing  on  some 
lofty  peak  admiring  the  work  of  nature,  is  indescribable. 
People  say  it  is  necessary  to  go  to  church  to  recognise  the 
sublimity  and  omnipotence  of  a  Supreme  Being;  but  they  can 
have  no  idea  of  the  meaning  of  the  words  till  they  have  gazed 
on  such  wonderful  scenes  as  are  unveiled  before  one's  eyes 
in  such  a  country  as  this,  where  nature  has  been  untarnished 
by  the  hand  of  man.  There  is  no  cathedral  in  the  world 
Avhich  can  compare  with  God's  handiwork,  and  one  often 
feels  His  presence  nearer  in  the  open  church  of  nature  than  in 
the  buildings  and  dress  of  conventional  religion. 

We  had  received  word  that  Prince  So  had  returned  to  his 
castle,  and  we  immediately  struck  camp  and  returned  to 
Wenchuan,  that  no  further  time  might  be  lost.  The  stream 
which  had  been  so  difficult  to  cross  when  coming  up  was  now 
flooded  with  heavy  rains,  and  was  rushing  shoulder  deep 
over  the  boulders,  so  that  it  was  only  with  much  difficulty 
and  danger  that  we  succeeded  in  getting  our  coolies  safely 
over.  On  the  way  down  I  called  at  So  Tussu's  castle  to  see 
the  Chief  and  try  and  get  the  letter  of  introduction  that  we 
had  been  waiting  for.  On  this  occasion,  however,  he  flatly 
refused  to  give  one  for  the  Ngaba  and  Ngolok  chiefs,  as  he 
declared  there  was  war  going  on  between  them  and  Somo. 
Of  this  trouble  I  had  previously  heard  something,  but  thinking 
it  might  not  be  very  serious,  I  was  anxious  to  tr}'  and  get  through 
that  country  if  possible.  Prince  So  was  quite  friendly  and 
gave  me  a  similar  letter  to  the  one  of  the  previous  3'ear  on 
condition  that  I  should  not  try  to  enter  the  territory  where 
the  fighting  was  going  on.  Then  we  said  good-bye,  and 
I  went  down  to  the  city  to  make  our  arrangements  for  a 
forward  movement  on  the  morrow. 

Brooke  and  myself  continued  our  journey  westward, 
following  the  valley  of  the  Min  as  far  as  Weichow,  where 
we  crossed  the  rope  bridges  that  span  the  I\Iin  and  the  Siho 


Haunts  of  the    Hudorcas. 


West  River,  and  followed  up  the  banks  of  the  latter,  passing 
through  a  barren-looking  country  where  the  only  sign  of 
anything  green  was  the  cultivated  fields  along  the  valley 
and  hillsides.     Sage  brush  was  the  only  natural  vegetation. 

On  many  peaks  were  to  be  seen  the  villages  of  the  Changmin 
scattered  along  the  mountain  side.  These  villages  were  often 
scarcely  distinguishable  from  their  surroundings,  being  built  of 
the  native  stone  which  is  the  same  dull  colour  as  the  barren- 
looking  mountains,  but  in  this  section  of  the  country  between 
Weichow  and  Lifan  there  are  at  least  50,000  of  this  remnant 
of  the  ancient  occupants  of  the  province  of  Sechuan,  They 
are  now  under  the  Chinese  Government,  and  have  had  no 
chiefs  of  their  own  for  nearly  1,000  years.  They  are  still 
looked  down  on  by  the  Chinese,  though  they  have  adopted 
Chinese  customs  and  habits  to  a  great  extent.  They  dress 
in  a  coarse  woollen  cloak  which  is  suitable  to  protect  them 
from  the  cold  winds  that  continually  blow  in  these  mountains. 
The  women  speak  their  own  patois,  which  is  not  understood 
on  opposite  sides  of  the  river  ;  the  men  all  speak  Chinese, 
many  of  them  "  broken  "  enough  ;  and  very  few  of  them 
are  able  to  read  the  Chinese  character.  They  have  no  written 
language  of  their  own.  The  Chinese  Government  is  estab- 
lishing schools  in  some  of  these  villages,  and  the  coming 
generation  is  encouraged  to  attend  them.  I  visited  several 
of  these  schools,  and  the  people  were  most  friendly. 

We  next  visited  Lifan  or  Paongan,  where  there  are  two 
Chinese  oificials,  one  a  civil  and  the  other  a  military,  who 
nominally  have  authority  over  a  large  section  of  the  country 
to  the  west  and  north,  but  being  located  in  the  south-east 
corner  of  their  jurisdiction  they  have  little  or  no  power  over 
such  remote  parts  as  Somo,  Drukagi,  Ranga,  Damba  or  Ngaba, 
which  are  entirely  governed  by  their  own  princes  and  chiefs. 

However,  they  claim  the  same  right  as  the  Chinese  do  in 
Tibet  proper,  i.e.,  that  these  States  must  supply  the  Chiilcse 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


with  free  transports  when  travelUng  through  the  country, 
and  once  in  seven  years  visit  Peking  with  tribute  which 
consists  of  the  natural  produce  of  each  State. 

At  Lifan  we  visited  my  old  friend,  Mr.  Wang,  the  Chinese 
civil  official.  He  was  most  friendly,  but  tried  to  persuade  us 
not  to  go  north  into  Ngaba,  and  said  he  could  not  give  us 
any  permit  into  that  country.  Indeed,  he  showed  us  an  order 
from  the  Viceroy  to  keep  foreigners  out  of  all  the  semi- 
independent  States,  on  account  of  a  German  traveller  having 
got  into  serious  difficulty  with  the  Golok  the  previous  year. 

As  I  was  an  old  friend,  he  consented,  after  a  lot  of  talk, 
to  give  us  a  pass.  It  stated  we  might  go  where  we  wished, 
in  terms  so  vague,  that  it  appeared  we  might  go  where  we 
would ;  but  Wang  added  a  verbal  warning  to  us  to  be  very 
careful  and  not  get  into  trouble,  and  to  keep  clear  of  any 
districts  where  there  might  be  any  local  feuds  going  on. 

He  sent  the  same  old  Lingpan  or  escort  with  us  who  had 
accompanied  me  on  my  former  journeys,  so  I  felt  pretty 
safe,  and  was  very  glad  that  the  German  gentleman's  troubles 
of  the  previous  year  had  not  blocked  the  way  for  another 
journey  into  a  most  interesting  country. 

At  Lifan  I  met  my  old  friend,  Colonel  Kao,  who  was  down 
from  Tsakalao  on  business,  and  who  gave  us  a  pressing  invita- 
tion to  stay  with  him  at  his  yamen. 

On  the  way  to  Tsakalao  we  spent  the  night  at  the  home 
of  another  friend.  Colonel  Gou,  who  has  command  of  the 
Kamba  mihtary  camp.  They  were  dehghted  to  see  me  again, 
and  the  best  they  had  was  not  too  good.  These  officers  live 
in  old  feudal  style,  having  many  servants  who  have  been  born 
on  the  estate,  and  who  are  practically  members  of  the  family, 
or  at  least  in  many  respects  are  so  treated  as  such  ;  yet  they 
preserve  a  certain  distance  all  the  same  and  have  great  respect 
for  their  master  and  mistress  and  family.  These  servants 
appear  to  be  perfectly  happy,  and  arc  given  their  clothes  and 

134 


Haunts  of  tht;    Biulorcas. 


food,  besides  a  little  spending  money  when  they  go  to  the 
city,  but  they  have  no  stated  wage. 

One  member  of  every  family  must  hold  himself  in  readiness 
to  bear  arms  for  the  Chinese  Government,  whenever  they 
should  be  called  on,  and  they  receive  the  small  annual  allow- 
ance of  about  five  shillings  during  times  of  peace,  and 
fifteen  shillings  per  month  when  called  to  service. 

There  are  five  of  these  camps,  each  under  a  colonel,  and 
are  called  by  the  Chinese  Wutun  (five  camps),  viz.,  Shang- 
mungtun,  Shamungtun,  Kintzechai,  Kamba  and  Tsakalao, 
the  latter  being  the  most  important. 

There  are  between  600  and  800  men  on  the  road  at  each 
camp.  I  have  visited  each  of  these,  and  found  all  the  colonels 
and  people  most  friendly.  At  first  they  were  suspicious, 
but  now  we  are  the  best  of  friends,  and  I  am  always  taken 
into  their  castles  or  yamen  and  treated  with  entire 
kindness. 

As  this  is  mainly  a  narrative  of  travel  I  must  not  go  into 
any  detail  about  customs  and  habits  of  these  people,  but  will 
just  say  that  at  one  time  the  strongest  of  all  the  tribal  chiefs 
controlled  the  affairs  of  this  valley.  He  rebelled  against  the 
Chinese  Government,  and  a  large  army  was  sent  against  him. 
He  was  overthrown,  and  his  castle,  which  was  located  near 
the  place  where  the  town  of  Tsakalao  now  stands,  was  razed 
to  the  ground.  The  Prince  was  captured  and  put  to  death, 
and  five  Chinese  colonels  were  placed  in  control  of  the  five 
camps  above  mentioned.  They  took  to  themselves  wives  of 
the  daughters  of  the  native  chiefs,  and  later  were  given 
hereditary  colonelships,  on  condition  that  they  kept  the  people 
loyal  and  peaceable.  To-day  we  lind  a  mixed  race.  There 
is  a  good  deal  of  Chinese  blood  in  them  ;  as  each  colonel 
marries  the  daughter  of  one  of  the  semi-independent  princes  of 
the  eighteen  tribes,  the  Chinese  strain  in  the  families  of  these 
hereditary   colonels   is   considerably   lessened  ;     but    the^'   are 

135 


Sport  and   Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


all  loyal  to  the  Chinese  Government.  After  spending  two 
days  visiting  the  district  and  the  large  monastery  here,  we 
moved  on  to  Tsakalao  and  stopped  with  my  old  friend,  Colonel 
Kao,  who  would  not  hear  of  our  putting  up  in  the  inn. 

No  word  had  arrived  of  Meares,  who  was  to  have  met  us 
here.  But  a  short  time  after  we  left  Tsakalao  he  arrived, 
quite  broken  up  after  the  rough  time  he  had  during  his  search 
for  the  takin.  He  sent  a  coolie  after  us,  who  overtook  us 
about  ten  miles  out,  and  Brooke  returned  to  Tsakalao  to  see 
the  skins  Meares  had  secured,  and  to  arrange  about  their 
being  forwarded  to  Chentu.  I  continued  my  journey  alone 
until  they  overtook  me  by  making  forced  marches.  Meares 
separated  from  us  on  I\Iay  17  Ih,  and  started  off  with  three  hunters 
and  a  coolie,  a  little  bedding,  and  a  limited  supply  of  food. 
After  three  days'  hard  tramp  up  a  most  terrible  path,  he 
reached  a  spot  where  the  takin  was  supposed  to  abound.  The 
mountains  were  so  steep  that  it  was  difficult  to  find  a  level 
space  on  which  to  pitch  their  tent,  and  so  they  all  camped 
out  under  an  overhanging  rock.  After  unpacking  the  loads, 
Meares  took  his  rifle  and  went  out  for  a  stroll.  He  had  not 
gone  more  than  200  yards  from  the  camp  when  he  found 
the  fresh  tracks  of  a  takin  cow  and  calf.  He  followed  these 
tracks  for  a  long  way  until  they  crossed  a  stream,  on  the 
other  side  of  which  they  left  evidence  that  they  had  very 
recently  moved  away.  He  followed  them  on  through  the 
bamboo  thickets  until  darkness  closed  in  and  he  had  to  leave 
them  and  return  to  camp. 

Next  day  they  again  got  on  their  tracks  and  followed  them 
up  to  a  salt  spring  where  the  takin  congregate,  and  where 
they  had  made  broad,  beaten-down  paths  running  in  all  the 
points  of  the  compass,  but  their  quarry  had  not  stopped 
long  here,  and  they  followed  it  on  over  the  mountain  tops 
till  evening  began  to  fall,  when  they  had  to  abandon  the 
chase.     For  the  next  week,  from  daylight  till  dark,  they  were 


Haunts  of  the   Budorcas. 


out  scouring  the  mountains  without  seeing  any  trace  of  the 
takin. 

One  day  was  Hke  the  next.  They  rose  every  morning  as 
soon  as  it  was  hght,  cooked  a  meal  of  rice  and  bacon,  and  then 
off  to  the  mountains,  always  climbing  upwards,  pulling 
themselves  up  by  the  rhododendron  roots,  and  sometimes 
falling  back  again,  and  so  on  upwards  to  the  heights  where  it 
was  hard  to  get  one's  breath.  The  most  depressing  part  was 
that  there  seemed  to  be  no  living  things  in  the  mountains ; 
only  once  or  twice  they  saw  a  tiny  mouse-rabbit,  and  on  one 
other  occasion,  when  high  up  on  the  mountains,  ^Ir.  ]\Ieares 
was  surrounded  by  an  army  of  angry  little  birds,  tiny  tits 
and  small  brown  birds,  which  suddenly  appeared  from  nowhere, 
When  he  was  sitting  on  a  stump  resting,  about  fifty  of  them 
collected  on  the  branches  all  round  him  ;  and  then,  when 
he  kept  quite  still,  they  got  bolder  and  bolder,  till  first  one 
sat  on  his  rifle,  then  another  on  his  shoulder,  then  others, 
all  jumping  about  and  using  terrible  language  at  this  strange 
giant  who  had  invaded  their  country.  At  last  he  had  to  move, 
the  spell  was  broken,  and  the  wilderness  was  birdless  again 
for  days.  But  there  was  no  sign  of  a  takin,  except  once 
when  the  hunters  were  alone,  they  said  they  saw  one,  but 
their  guns  were  we'  and  would  not  go  off.  All  the  time  it 
poured  in  torrents  day  and  night,  except  high  up,  where  it 
snowed. 

After  ten  days  of  this,  provisions  got  low,  and  as  Meares 
had  to  cut  across  unknown  mountains  to  meet  us  others, 
he  gave  orders  to  pack  up  the  camp,  and  went  out  for  a  last 
look  at  the  salt  springs.  That  reached,  he  found  fresh' tracks 
of  a  cow  and  half-grown  calf,  and  at  once  went  in  chase,  and 
after  many  hours  climbing  got  a  sight  of  them,  and  put  a 
bullet  into  the  cow.  She  was  hard  hit,  but  managed  to  get 
down  the  hill  some  distance,  and  he  only  just  managed  to  give 
her  the  coup-de-grace  on  the  edge  of  the  cliff  loo  feet  high. 


sport  and   Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


The  hunters  went  off  after  the  young  one,  and  soon  brought 
it  down  on  their  shoulders.  By  the  time  they  had  photo- 
graphed and  skinned  the  takin  it  was  dark,  so  they  felled 
some  huge  fir  trees,  and  made  an  enormous  bonfire  around 
which  they  sat  all  night,  roasting  and  eating  the  meat.  The 
young  takin  meat  is  like  the  very  best  veal,  and  by  morning 
there  was  verv  little  of  the  smaller  carcass  left  but  the  bones. 


TAKIN    SHOr    BY    MK.     MEARES. 


Meares  told  us  later  that  he  will  never  forget  the  morning 
following.  The  camp  was  high  up  among  the  pine  trees 
and  the  sun  rose  in  a  clear  blue  sky,  painting  the  circle  of 
snow  peaks  around  them  the  most  brilliant  colours.  Every- 
thing was  perfect,  and  he  felt  at  peace  with  the  world.  He 
had  been  rewarded  for  liis  trouble  by  being  tlie  fust  person 
to  shoot  an  animal  which  had  hardly  been  seen  alive  by  a 
European  before,  and  last,  but  not  least,  he   had  had  a  real 


Haunts  of  the   Budorcas. 


good  feed.  He  returned  to  the  cave,  and  the  hunters  carried 
down  the  skins  and  heads  and  bones  of  both  animals  and  all 
the  meat  that  was  left.  How  they  managed  to  do  it  Mr. 
Meares  had  no  idea,  as  there  were  no  paths  whatever,  and 
each  man's  load  must  have  weighed  over  loo  lbs. 

Next  morning  they  started  off  with  their  bedding  and  the 
skins  and  bones  to  cross  the  mountain  range  to  join  us. 

It  was  a  pouring  wet  day,  and  they  trudged  up  the  valley, 
most  of  the  time  wading  almost  waist  deep  in  the  stream 
itself,  for  there  was  no  road  along  the  bank. 

Meares  was  at  the  head  of  the  party  when  suddenly  he 
caught  sight  of  a  hump-backed,  grey-coated,  black-horned, 
short-legged  object  crossing  an  open  space  on  the  hillside 
about  300  yards  away.  It  was  a  bull  takin.  He  at  once 
sent  a  bullet  after  it,  and  though  it  appeared  to  be  hit,  it  went 
off  at  a  good  pace.  On  arriving  at  the  spot  he  found  a  good 
deal  of  blood,  showing  it  had  been  badly  hurt.  They  followed 
its  trail  some  distance,  but  the  rain  was  coming  down  in  such 
torrents  that  it  soon  washed  away  all  trace  of  the  animal, 
and  finally  they  had  to  give  up  the  chase. 

They  toiled  up  the  mountain  side  till  darkness  overtook 
them,  and  pitched  their  camp  under  a  pine  tree,  where  they 
spent  the  night.  At  daybreak  they  started  off  again,  leaving 
the  stream  and  striking  straight  over  the  mountain.  After  a 
hard  climb  for  several  hours  they  reached  the  tree-line  and 
entered  the  open  land  beyond,  where  a  bitter  cold  gale  was 
blowing,  which  froze  their  clothing  and  cut  right  through 
them.  He  saw  some  of  the  large  yellow  mountain  poppies,  which 
were  already  in  bloom,  but,  the  day  he  passed,  every  hair  on 
every  petal  was  encased  in  a  coating  of  ice,  which  shows  how 
hardy  these  wild  poppies  are.  When  they  topped  the  pass, 
and  had  reached  the  northern  slopes,  they  escaped  the  bitter 
wind,  but  found  in  front  of  them  a  field  of  deep  snow,  but  no 
path  or  track  was  visible. 

139 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppe; 


The  snow  was  more  than  knee-deep,  the  coohes  were  heavily 
laden  and  almost  frozen,  so  Meares  had  to  go  ahead  and 
break  a  road.  His  rope  sandals  were  worn  out,  and  he  had 
to  finish  the  journey  almost  barefooted.  After  much  difficulty 
they  reached  the  timber-line,  and  were  able  to  make  a  fire 
and  warm  themselves  ;  here  they  found  an  old  timber  slide, 
down  which  they  quickly  slid,  and  soon  found  themselves 
in  the  warm,  sunny  valley  in  which  Tsakalao  is  situated.  On 
arrival  he  found  that  Brooke  and  myself  had  left  the  day 
before,  but  having  no  money  with  him  to  pay  the  men,  he 
sent  a  coolie  after  us  to  call  Brooke  back.  On  the  latter's 
return  he  found  a  fine  takin  skin,  which  dehghted  him  much, 
for  since  he  had  not  been  able  to  shoot  it  himself,  he  rejoiced 
that  his  companion  in  travel  had  been  the  first  Enghshman 
to  shoot  this  strange  and  coveted  animal,  the  inhabitant  of 
these  almost  inaccessible  mountains. 

This  little-known  animal  stands  as  high  as  a  small  bullock, 
but  is  much  more  heavily  built.  Its  legs  are  especially  short 
and  thick,  and  its  feet  are  shaped  like  those  of  a  goat,  only 
much  larger.  I  have  seen  some  tracks  as  much  as  six  inches 
in  diameter.  They  have  Roman  noses,  black  curved  horns, 
and  short  cut-oft'  ears ;  the  hair  of  the  cow  is  creamy  white, 
but  most  of  the  bulls  have  a  reddish-grey  coat,  a  short  tail 
Hke  a  goat,  and  to  some  extent  resemble  the  musk  ox.  In 
the  springtime  the  cows  travel  about  with  their  young,  who 
can  follow  their  mothers  anywhere  at  three  days  old,  and  are 
weaned  at  one  month  old.  In  the  early  spring  they  seem  to 
feed  almost  entirely  on  a  plant  which  looks  very  much  like 
rhubarb  or  burdock  and  grows  along  the  bottoms  of  valleys. 
In  the  month  of  June  they  all  collect  about  the  salt  licks, 
toward  which  they  make  broad,  regular,  beaten  roads,  and  a 
little  later  collect  into  large  herds,  and  graze  in  the  grass 
lands  above  the  tree-level. 

The  natives  arc  very  much  afraid  of  these  animals  when 
140 


HUNTING    THE   TAKIN;    A    HIT   OK   THE    KOAD. 


Haunts  of  the   Hudorc; 


they  have  congregated  in  herds,  and  say  that  if  one  of  the 
group  is  wounded,  the  whole  company  will  charge  right  over 
the  hunter.  Each  herd  has  an  old  bull  as  leader,  and  they 
follow  him  everywhere  ;  an  old  hunter  told  me  that  on  one 
occasion  he  met  a  small  herd  on  a  narrow  path  and  shot  the 
leader,  who  fell  over  the  cliff,  the  others  immediately  threw 
themselves  over  after  him,  though  there  were  some  tens  of 
feet  of  a  sheer  drop.  Judging  from  the  skins  I  have  seen, 
some  of  the  bulls  must  grow  to  a  tremendous  size. 


143 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Forward  to  Somo. 

When  Messrs.  Brooke  and  Meares  had  finished  drying  and 
packing  the  budorcas'  skins  they  crossed  the  river  over  the 
big  cantilever  bridge  to  visit  Colonel  Kao.  While  they  were 
talking  and  drinking  tea  with  him  they  heard  a  crash  and 
a  roar,  and  on  going  out  to  see  what  it  was  they  discovered 
that  the  bridge  over  which  they  had  just  passed  had  col- 
lapsed. It  had  been  standing  for  forty  years,  and,  as  the  Colonel 
apologetically  remarked,  "  It  never  did  that  before."  This 
entailed  their  marching  five  miles  dowai  the  river  to  the 
nearest  bridge  before  they  could  recross. 

On  June  4  Brooke  and  Meares  set  off  to  overtake  me,  and 
by  fast  travelhng  caught  me  up  in  two  days,  as  I  had  been 
doing  much  visiting  by  the  way.  The  road  they  took  is 
most  picturesque,  and  keeps  close  to  the  banks  of  the  Siho 
(west  river),  crossing  from  time  to  time  from  one  side  to  the 
other  to  avoid  the  great  cliffs  that  rise  sheer  up  from  the 
river  side  in  many  places.  We  overtook  a  pack  of  mules 
laden  with  tea  for  Matang.  This  tea  w^as  the  worst  rubbish 
I  had  ever  seen  going  under  that  name,  it  looked  more  like 
dried  birch  leaves  and  half  rotten  twigs  than  tea,  and  smelt 
very  musty  ;  but  the  tribespeople  seemed  to  prefer  it  to  a 
better  quality.  We  passed  several  Mantze  villages  during 
the  first  twenty  miles'  march,  and  there  were  a  number  more  up 
the  ravines  to  the  north  and  south  which  we  could  not  see 
from  the  main  road.  Leaving  the  cultivated  lands  behind, 
the  road  ran  through  a  deep  gorge  close  to  the  side  of  the 

144 


Inirward   in   Soino. 


river,  and  the  mountains  seem  to  rise  almost  straight  up  for 
6,000  feet,  so  that  the  sun  can  only  cast  its  rays  in  the  narrow- 
valley  for  about  two  hours  each  day.  This  is,  indeed,  a  lonely 
place,  and  the  roar  of  the  river  and  the  song  of  the  birds  are 
all  that  breaks  the  stillness.  Passing  through  this  gorge 
we  came  out  to  a  small  clearing,  in  which  stood  a  solitary 
house,  called  Sintientzc  (new  inn),  but  I  hav(;  no  doubt  it 
had  stood  there  for  at  least  a  hundred  years,  as  the  smoke  from 
the  fireplace  in  the  middle  of  the  main  living-room  had  long 
since  turned  the  rafters  and  ceiling  the  colour  of  ebony. 
Passing  on  through  a  widening  valley,  in  which  stood  isolated 
farmhouses,  built  of  stone,  we  soon  passed  the  boundary 
line  between  Tsakalao  territory  and  the  State  of  Somo.  We 
were  at  last  on  ground  completely  governed  by  an  inde- 
pendent hereditary  Tussu  or  Prince,  with  many  chiefs  under 
him,  who  direct  the  local  affairs  throughout  his  kingdom. 
From  the  boundary  line  of  Somo  to  Kouerhkou,  where  we 
hoped  to  spend  the  night,  w^e  passed  through  wheat  and 
barley  fields.  The  people  were  very  friendly  and  came  out 
as  we  passed  through  their  little  settlements.  We  were  able 
to  have  a  kindly  word  with  them.  It  was  7.30  when  we 
reached  the  little  wayside  inn,  located  within  half  a-mile 
from  the  Mantze  fort  of  Kouerhkou,  where  the  chief  of  this 
district  has  his  palatial  home,  built  on  the  spur  of  the  moun- 
tain. The  town  looks  quite  impregnable,  but  we  decided 
to  take  it  by  a  strategy,  being  determined  not  to  spend  the 
night  in  the  miserable  little  hovel  by  the  w^ayside.  It  may 
be  necessary  to  explain  to  the  reader  that  it  is  most  dilficult 
for  a  stranger  to  find  hospitality  in  any  of  these  forts,  and 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  Chinese  coolies  and  travellers 
little  wayside  inns  have  been  erected  all  along  the  main  road 
so  far  as  the  medicine  digging  enterprise  is  carried  on  ;  but 
these  huts  arc  so  filthy  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  for  a 
foreigner  to  live  in  them,  even  for  a  night,  though  on  many 
(11243)  '45  '- 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


occasions  when  I  have  not  had  a  tent  with  me  I  have  been 
compelled  to  lodge  therein.  On  this  occasion,  however,  I 
made  up  my  mind  I  would  try  for  something  better  in  the 
fort,  and  sent  my  interpreter  up  to  the  head  man  of  the  Chaitze, 


TUli    INTERPRETER    K  \i 


while  I  remained  at  the  Chinese  hut  by  the  roadside.  My 
interpreter  was  a  native  of  Damba  State,  and  was  also  a 
relative  of  my  friend  Colonel  Kao,  so  that  he  would  have  no 
difficulty  in   procuring  lodgings  for  himself.     The   plan  was 

146 


Forward   to   Somo. 


that  he  should  first    secure    lodgings   and   then    inform    his 
host  that  a  friend  of  Colonel  Kao's  was  stopping  at  the  inn 
and   would   also   like   accommodation,    but   not   to    intimate 
to  him  that  this  friend  was  a  foreigner.     I  could  trust  my 
interpreter  to  play  the  game,  for  he  had  been  with  me  the 
two  previous  journeys,  and  had  proved  himself  adroit.    When 
he  had  secured  the  room  he  was  to  shout  down  and  I  would 
come  up,  so  that  I  really  entered  the  house  before  the  old 
chief  knew  I  was  a  foreigner.     As  arranged  so  things  befell. 
At  first  the  chief  was  somewhat  sulky  ;    but  when  he  found 
that  I  was  the  person  who  passed  through  last  year  he  be- 
came more  friendly,  and  in  less  than  half-an-hour  we  were 
on  the  best  of  terms.     He  gave  me  a  very  nice  little  room 
on  the  roof,  where  I  spread  out  my  bed  and  made  myself 
comfortable,   and   after  supper   I   came   down   to  the  family 
apartment,  a  large  room  in  the  centre  of  which  a  huge  fire 
was  burning,  while  on  large  iron  tripods  stood  three  great 
pots  used  for  cooking  purposes.     We  all  sat  round  the  fire 
tailor-fashion,  for  they  never  use  chairs  or  benches  in  tliis 
part  of  the  country,  and  there  we  chatted  till  midnight.    The 
old  lady  was  very  anxious  about  her  daughter,  who  had  run 
away  some  weeks  before  because  she  had  been  punished  for 
disobedience.     The  mother  was  quite  anxious  that  I  should 
divine,  and  tell  her  if  her  daughter  would  ever  return  !     She 
was  sure  I  could,  and  when  I  explained  that  no  one  could 
really  tell  the  future,  and  that  it  was  only  a  way  the  Lamas 
had  of  making  money,  she  half  agreed,  but  still  thought  there 
was   something   in   it.     The   tribespeople   are   also   strong   in 
palmistry,  and  as  I  had  read  a  little  on  the  subject  I  greatly 
pleased  the  old  lady  by  looking  at  her  hand,  and  telling  her 
she  was  to  live  to  a  good  old  age — as  she  was  now  between 
sixty-five  and  seventy,  and  there  was  little  danger  of  my  not 
telling  the  truth.    We  were  good  friends  now,  and  I  was  urged  not 
to  go  on  the  morrow,  but  spend  the  day  with  them.    As  I  was 
(1 1243)  "47  '-  - 


Sport  and    Tnuel  on   the   Tibetan    Steppes. 


anxious  to  visit  the  valley  that  runs  north  from  here  I  gladly 
accepted.  Before  retiring  tsamba  and  tea  were  provided. 
This  is  the  usual  Tibetan  food,  made  of  parched  barley  meal 
and  buttered  tea.  As  explained  before,  the  meal  is  mixed 
with  the  tea  into  a  thick  paste,  then  kneaded  dry,  until  you 
can  hold  it  in  your  hand  much  as  you  would  an  uncooked 


COLONEL   GOU    AND    HLS    KAMI 


cake  ;  but  as  the  meal  has  been  previously  parched  it  tastes 
quite  good  when  one  is  hungry,  and  in  effect  buttered  tea 
is  much  hke  soup.  Strange  as  this  food  may  seem  to  the 
stranger  it  is  very  nourishing,  and  the  people  seem  to  thrive 
on  it.  After  thus  refreshing  ourselves  I  retired  to  my  apart- 
ment on  the  roof,  and,  as  I  went,  the  family  stretching  tliem- 

14S 


Forward  t(3  Somo. 


selves  out  with  their  feet  toward  the  fire,  which  still  burned 
in  the  centre  of  the  room,  wrapped  themselves  in  their  woollen 
or  sheep-skin  gowns  and  seemed  not  to  mind  the  hard  boards 
of  the  flooring,  which  is  the  best  bed  they  know  of. 

Next  morning,  after  an  early  breakfast,  I  started  up  the 
valley  to  visit  another  chief.  For  some  hours  we  walked 
up  the  path  which  lay  along  the  bed  of  the  stream,  on  which 
were  built  several  flour  mills,  also  a  number  of  large  prayer 
cylinders  turned  by  water-power.  These  cylinders  are  filled 
with  rolls  of  parchment,  on  which  are  carefully  written  the 
prescribed  formulas,  such  as  "  Om  !  ma-ni  pad-me  Hung  !  " 
—i.e.,  "  Hail  !  The  Jewel  (Grand  Lama)  in  the  lotus-flower  !  " 
which  is  the  standard  prayer  of  Lamaism.  Of  course  there 
are  many  other  formulas  of  a  similar  character  used  to  fill 
in  the  miles  of  parchment  neatly  rolled  on  these  cylinders, 
which  are  kept  constantly  turning  by  the  sparkhng  streams 
Nature  has  so  bountifully  provided  in  this  wild  and  fascinating 
country.  The  banks  of  the  stream  were  covered  with  thick 
brushwood  and  flowering  plants  of  many  kinds  ;  the  perfume 
of  the  lilac  and  other  sweet-smelling  flowers  filled  the  air  ;  the 
humming  of  the  bees,  the  song  of  the  birds,  could  not  but 
arrest  and  charm;  but  there  was  less  of  the  song  of  the 
busy  tribesmen,  and  I  was  disappointed  to  find  so  few  people 
in  what  I  had  assumed  to  be  a  thickly  populated  valley. 

On  arriving  at  the  village  I  found  that  most  of  the  houses 
had  been  burned  down  the  previous  year,  and  nothing  but 
the  charred  walls  of  most  of  the  buildings  now  remained. 
The  only  sign  of  life  was  a  few  women  busily  weaving  their 
coarse  hempen  cloth,  and  some  girls  beating  out  the  flax. 
Most  of  the  inhabitants,  both  male  and  female,  were  away 
on  the  mountains  with  the  cattle,  or  on  the  heights  near  the 
snow-line,  gathering  herbs,  an  occupation  general  among  the 
inhabitants  of  this  region  during  tlic  months  of  June  and 
July,   while  their  crops  are  maturing  in   the  fields.     Return 

149 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

in  August  and  the  hills  and  valleys  will  resound  with  the  men}- 
song  of  the  young  men  and  maidens,  as  they  ply  their  sickles 
to  the  beat  of  their  weird  chanting. 

The  people  were  very  timid,  as  the}'  had  never  before  seen 
a  foreigner.  After  a  httle  inquiry  I  found  the  chief,  with 
whom  I  chatted  for  a  few  hours.  He  did  not  invite  me  into 
his  home,  but  was  quite  friendly,  and  when  he  learned  I  was 
stopping  with  his  neighbour  chief  at  Kouerhkou  he  told  me 
of  a  road  which  led  from  here  over  the  mountains  to  the 
Black  River  valley,  occupied  by  the  famous  Hei  Shui  (black 
water)  tribe,  who  hold  the  valleys  of  the  Black  River.  That 
is  a  country  never  yet  visited  by  any  European,  but  I  hope 
some  day  to  tramp  these  hitherto  forbidden  reaches,  as  I  have 
an  invitation  from  the  chief  Daerhwangchen  to  do  so. 

After  partaking  of  some  refreshments  with  the  chief  I 
retraced  my  steps  down  the  valley,  and  the  only  people  we 
met  during  the  march  were  some  woodcutters  returning 
with  huge  bundles  of  faggots  on  their  backs,  and  two  Chinese 
wine  merchants  making  their  way  toward  the  villages  we  had 
just  left.  These  people  are  passionately  fond  of  wine,  and 
while  they  make  a  mild  drink  locally  from  barley,  they  are  very 
fond  of  the  Chinese  fire-water,  which  is  about  sixty-five  per 
cent,  proof,  and  will  burn  readily  if  you  simply  set  a  match  to  it. 
Water  is  sometimes  added  both  by  the  Chinese  merchant 
and  b}'  the  people  themselves  after  they  purchase  it  ;  but 
the  liquor  is  also  frequently  imbibed  in  its  pure  state  through 
the  little  terra-cotta  syphon  quite  hke  a  small  jug,  with  a  teat 
on  the  handle  for  the  lips.  The  syphon  is  usually  sucked 
from  after  heating  it,  for  while  they  do  not  mind  eating  cold 
food  they  like  their  wine  hot.  When  a  tribesman  is  in- 
toxicated, the  best  plan  is  either  to  give  him  a  wide  berth 
or  let  him  have  his  own  way,  and  say  "  yes,  yes,"  to  all  his 
suggestions.  To  oppose  would  only  provoke  him  to  a  free  use 
of  the  small  sword  or  dirk  which  he  always  carries    in  his 

150 


Forward  to  Somo. 


belt ;  and  though  perfectly  friendly  when  sober,  the  man 
may  suddenly  turn  one's  bitterest  enemy  when  intoxicated. 
Few  of  them  eat  opium,  though  this  curse  has  found  its  way 
into  a  few  homes,  and  with  consequences  even  more  marked 
on  the  tribesman  than  upon  the  Chinese.  Immediately  he 
adopts  its  use  the  former  surrenders  himself  completely  to 
the  habit,  and  in  a  very  short  time  becomes  a  complete  wreck. 
Two  causes  suggest  themselves  :  firstly,  the  opium  sold  to 
the  tribesmen  is  largely  made  from  opium  ash  and  refuse 
from  the  Chinese  opium  dens,  and  is  adulterated  for  the 
tribal  trade  ;  in  the  second  place,  these  people  have  httle  to 
occupy  their  minds,  and  when  once  they  become  addicted 
to  the  habit,  have  little  to  oppose  to  its  influence. 

When  I  started  on  our  forward  march  next  morning  the 
chief  provided  me  with  an  escort,  composed  of  one  old  woman 
and  two  girls.  It  is  customary  in  this  part  of  the  country 
for  the  females  to  escort  visitors  from  one  chief  to  the  other. 
The  only  reason  I  can  give  is  that  the  men  are  usually  away 
on  a  hunting  tour,  and  the  women  are  left  to  look  after  the 
homes  and  crop.  The  women  and  girls  of  this  part  of  the 
country  are  very  different  from  the  Chinese,  and  are  more 
like  the  American,  French  or  Scandinavian  girl  in  their  free- 
dom of  conversation.  Our  escort  marched  along  with  the 
caravan,  freely  chatting  to  the  interpreter  and  myself,  as 
though  they  were  the  happiest  people  in  the  world.  On 
one  occasion  I  made  a  remark  about  their  aversion  to  the 
free  use  of  water,  saying  they  would  be  really  good-looking 
if  they  would  only  keep  themselves  clean,  and  by  way  of 
contrast  pointed  to  my  neck,  saying,  "Yours  might  be  as 
white  as  mine  if  you  would  only  use  soap  and  water."  Her 
neck  as  I  spoke  was  black  as  an  African's.  But  for  all  that 
she  was  a  sharp  witted,  rather  good-featured  lass,  of  about 
eighteen,  and  the  quick  reply  I  got  was,  "  Yes,  your  skin  may 
be  white,  but  your  heart  is  blacker  than  my  neck."     I  was  not 

151 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


aware  that  I  had  said  or  done  anything  to  merit  the  remark, 
but  I  had  to  take  it  in  good  grace  ;  and  by  the  time  our 
journey  was  ended  I  hope  she  reaUsed  that  my  heart  was 
whiter  than  she  suspected,  for  they  all  returned  to  their 
homes  with  a  small  string  of  cash  and  a  thank  you  for  their 
help  in  carrying  our  belongings  over  the  five  miles  of  rough 
but  beautiful  country.     To  receive  pay  and  a  kind  word  w^as 


IBETAN    PLAYERS    IN    COMEDY. 


rather  a  surprise  to  them,  for  if  they  had  been  escorting  a 
Chinese  Official  they  would  probably  have  returned  with 
curses  for  thanks  and  abusive  language  for  pay,  these  being 
the  attentions  of  his  followers,  even  where  the  Official  himself 
was  polite.  Kindness  is  something  which  surprises  these 
people,  so  little  of  it  do  they  receive  from  strangers  ;  yet 
thcv  are  very  kind  and  affectionate  among  themselves,  and 


l^'orward    to    Somo. 


I    have    never  yet    seen    or    heard    any   quarrelhng    in    their 
ranks. 

We  fohowed  tlie  west  bank  of  the  river  for  twenty  h  (about 
live  miles),  when  we  again  crossed  another  cantilever  bridge, 
and  entered  a  fertile  valley  whicli  supported  four  villages, 
with  a  population  of  300  families.  Lodgings  were  found  on 
the  roof  of  one  of  the  houses  in  the  village  of  Cheoti,  and  we 
spent    tlie    night    in    fairly    comfortable    apartments.     Here 


[BETAN    PLAYERS    IN     TK AGE 


as  far  as  Chowser,  the  capital  of  Chosschia  State. 

About  an  hour  and  a-half  after  our  arrival  a  Chinese  Wei- 
yuen  arrived  from  the  west,  sent  out  by  the  Viceroy  of 
Sechwan  in  the  interest  of  education,  his  business  being 
to  establish  schools  for  the  study  of  Chinese  throughout  these 
semi-independent  States.  His  style  and  bearing,  however, 
was  not  such  as  would  give  him  much  prestige,  or  command 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


the  respect  and  sympathy  of  this  independent  people.  He 
rode  on  to  the  street  with  an  air  of  superiority  that  was  quite 
resented  by  the  people,  and  seeing  us  on  the  roof  of  one  of 
the  houses  he  dismounted  and  walked  in,  feeling  his  way 
through  the  smoke,  which  was  making  use  of  the  staircase 
for  an  outlet.  When  he  emerged  from  its  columns  and  stood 
on  the  roof  beside  us  tears  were  in  his  eyes,  but  not  the  tear 
of  sorrow  or  sympathy.  He  cursed  the  smoke,  the  houses 
and  the  people  that  lived  in  them.  After  he  had  finished 
and  recovered  his  breath  he  demanded  of  me  my  business, 
how  it  was  I  had  secured  rooms  in  this  house,  and  w^here  I 
was  going,  and  so  forth. 

He  next  informed  me  of  the  hostihty  of  this  barbarous 
race,  saying  it  was  not  safe  for  a  foreigner  to  be  in  their 
country,  and  tried  to  impress  me  with  the  importance  of 
returning  with  him  to  Chinese  territory.  In  reply,  I  asked 
him,  "Whose  jurisdiction  this  country  was  under;  if,  on 
their  maps,  it  was  not  included  in  the  province  of  Sechwan  ? 
for  which  I  held  a  passport."  When  he  found  he  could  do 
nothing  with  me  by  arguments  of  this  kind,  he  changed  his 
tactics,  and  informed  me  that  the  road  ahead  was  impass- 
able, the  rivers  being  swollen  to  such  an  extent  that  it  was 
impossible  to  cross  them,  and  that  the  mountain  passes  were 
deep  in  snow,  and  we  would  surely  be  frozen  to  death  if  we 
attempted  to  cross  them.  I  Hstened  to  his  story  until  he  had 
poured  it  all  out,  then  asked  the  question,  "Where  have 
you  come  from  ?  "  He  told  me  how  he  had  left  Chentu 
and  had  travelled  up  the  Siaochin  YaWey  and  over  the  pass 
to  Drukagi,  then  up  through  Somo,  over  the  Chiku  Pass, 
and  down  to  this  point,  all  in  the  interest  of  education ;  but 
said  he  had  not  been  able  to  establish  a  single  school.  I 
sympathised  with  him  in  the  difficulties  he  had  encountered 
during  his  arduous  journey,  and  then  asked,  "  How  did  you 
succeed  in  overcoming  them  ?  "      \\'hen  he  told  me  a  long 

154 


Forward  to  Somo, 


story  of  how  it  was  done  I  thanked  him  for  his  information, 
saying  we  would  do  hkewise.  He  suddenly  realised  that  he 
had  given  his  case  away,  but  I  informed  him  there  was  no 
need  of  feeling  badly,  as  I  had  been  over  the  entire  route 
that  he  had  just  travelled  more  than  once,  and  knew  it  quite 
well.  When  he  found  he  could  make  nothing  out  of  me, 
and  seeing  the  rooms  were  all  occupied  on  the  roof  of  this 
house — the  best  in  the  village — he  bowed  in  farewell  and 
went  through  the  column  of  smoke  down  the  crude  staircase, 
and  after  seeking  accommodation  in  the  other  houses  of  the 
village,  where  he  was  refused  admittance,  mounted  his  horse 
and  with  his  companions  rode  off  in  search  of  accommodation 
in  the  next  village,  where  he  was  told  he  would  find  it.  I 
hope  he  was  successful,  but  as  the  village  was  five  miles  away, 
and  a  rough  road  separated  him  from  that  place,  I  should 
not  be  surprised  if  he  found  himself  compelled  to  spend  the 
night  under  the  open  canopy  of  heaven  or  under  some  green 
tree.  By  6  a.m.  we  were  on  the  march,  our  road  led  us  on 
through  the  valley,  in  which  were  cultivated  fields  to  the 
right  and  to  the  left.  The  path  kept  near  the  river's  brink, 
which  here  flows  in  a  south-eastern  direction,  the  early  morn- 
ing air  was  wonderfully  refreshing,  and  almost  in  every  direc- 
tion the  mountain  tops  glittered  in  the  sunlight,  many  of 
them  clad  in  a  mantle  of  snow,  while  their  lower  slopes  were 
covered  with  forests.  Near  the  river's  brink  soft,  maple, 
birch  and  ash  trees  abounded,  while  here  and  there  a  prickly 
oak  warned  us  that  we  are  approaching  an  altitude  of  9,000 
feet.  Cultivated  fields  were  seen  dotting  the  mountain  side, 
surrounded  by  rank  foliage,  and  stone  houses  adorned  some 
of  the  hillsides  facing  south.  We  reached  Jiapi  at  noon. 
This  is  a  village  of  about  fifteen  families  ;  on  a  spur  not  far  away 
stands  a  massive  stone  building,  belonging  to  the  prince, 
which  he  occupies  during  his  periodical  visits  through  the 
country.     Away  to   the  north   the  wide  valley  leads  up   to 

155 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

extensive  pasture  lands,  on  which  we  could  make  out  through 
our  glasses  large  herds  of  cattle  grazing,  and  far  above  them 
the  peaks  capped  with  snow. 

A  little  further  on  it  was  necessary  to  cross  the  stream, 
but  here  the  bed  of  the  river  was  broad  and  there  was  no 
bridge.  The  rain  which  fell  during  the  previous  night,  to- 
gether with  the  melting  snow,  had  much  increased  the  volume 
of  the  stream,  and  we  had  a  great  deal  of  difficulty  in  find- 
ing a  suitable  ford.  On  several  occasions  while  endeavouring 
to  cross  my  pony  was  almost  carried  off  his  feet  b}'  the  swift 
current.  Finally,  we  found  a  place  where  the  water  was 
not  over  three  feet  deep,  and  by  stretching  a  guide-rope  across 
for  the  pack  coohes  to  hold  to  and  steady  themselves  as  they 
forded,  we  succeeded  in  getting  the  whole  party  safely  over 
on  the  other  side.  About  4  o'clock  we  arrived  at  Miala,  a 
group  of  stone  houses  built  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  which  boasts 
itself  of  supporting  two  chiefs  and  a  population  of  1.500 
families  in  the  surrounding  district.  It  was  difficult  for  us 
to  discover  where  all  these  homes  were  located,  as  the  village 
itself  had  not  more  than  thirty  houses,  but  scattered  about  on 
the  mountain  side  are  many  isolated  dwellings,  which  cannot 
be  seen  from  the  main  road.  There  is  also  a  large  monastery 
on  the  wooded  mountain  to  the  south,  which  boasts  itself 
of  having  about  1,500  lamas,  or  a  proportion  of  one  lama  to  each 
household — a  rule  which  they  try  to  live  up  to  wherever  Lamaism 
prevails. 

On  arriving  at  the  town  we  were  very  much  surprised  to 
find  all  the  doors  shut  in  our  faces.  The  interpreter  and 
the  Fusong  were  not  able  to  obtain  access,  even  to  the  home 
of  the  chief,  the  doors  being  locked  and  barred,  with  no  sign 
of  any  life  within.  I  had  told  the  Fusong  to  go  ahead  and 
secure  a  place  before  our  arrival  ;  but  as  he  had  stopped 
for  two  days  in  this  same  town  the  previous  year,  and  had 
left  them  so  far  as  I  knew  friendly,  I  had  not  insisted  on  his 

156 


b'orvvard  to   Somo. 


doing  so,  while  the  interpreter,  thinking  there  would  be  no 
difficulty  whatever,  had  dallied  behind  with  the  coolies,  and 
only  arrived  when  we  did.  It  began  to  look  rather  serious, 
and  there  seemed  to  be  no  way  of  getting  in  touch  with  the 
people,  so  I  accompanied  the  interpreter  and  escort  to  the 
home  of  the  second  chief,  who  lived  some  Httle  distance  away. 
There  the  outer  door  was  also  locked  ;  and  though  we  rapped 
loud  enough  to  be  heard  for  some  distance,  the  interpreter 
repeating  the  well-known  call,  "A  friend  has  arrived,  open 
unto  him  the  door,"  there  was  no  response.  The  wall  was 
not  very  high,  so  Kao,  who  was  an  expert  climber,  scrambled 
up  the  side  hke  a  rabbit,  and  standing  on  the  top  called  aloud 
to  the  inmates.  At  last  a  servant  came  out,  and  announced 
that  there  was  no  one  at  home,  which  we  knew  very  well 
was  a  lie.  The  servant  disappearing  and  leaving  us  to  make 
the  best  of  the  situation  ;  my  interpreter  quickly  descended 
the  wall  on  the  inside  and  unbarred  the  gate,  which  was  made 
secure  by  a  great  wooden  cross  pole,  but  not  locked.  x\nd 
both  he  and  I  passed  through  the  courtyard  and  through  the 
stable  that  occupied  the  first  storey  of  the  castle,  and  ascend- 
ing a  broad  staircase  found  ourselves  on  the  flat  roof,  which 
formed  the  courtyard  of  the  second  storey. 

When  the  inmates  found  the  castle  had  been  taken  by 
storm,  and  that  we  were  actually  in  possession,  heads  ap- 
peared over  the  balcony  above  us,  and  through  windows 
on  the  second  storey,  declaring  that  they  had  no  accommo- 
dation for  travellers.  My  interpreter  informed  the  old  lama, 
who  seemed  to  be  the  chief  spokesman,  that  we  were  quiet 
and  peaceable  people,  and  that  he  had  been  sent  by  Colonel 
Kao,  his  master  and  lord,  to  escort  and  protect  us  from  all 
harm,  and  that  all  we  wanted  was  accommodation  for  the 
night,  for  which  we  were  prepared  to  pay.  Showing  his 
military  coat,  as  evidence  of  his  authority,  hv  took  it  off  and 
hung  it  on  the  door  ;    and  according  to  the  tribal  custom,  to 

157 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

refuse  to  open  the  door  to  that  coat,  or  to  insult  it  in  anyway, 
meant  open  revolt  against  the  Colonel,  whom  they  all  respect 
throughout  these  States.  There  was  nothing  for  it  now,  so 
they  opened  the  door,  and  w'e  were  shown  to  a  small  room 
at  the  north  side  of  the  flat  roof  upon  which  we  stood.  The 
Fusong  was  sent  down  for  the  rest  of  the  party  and  our 
things,  and  in  a  very  short  time  we  were  comfortably  settled 
in  our  little  room.  In  less  than  half -an -hour  the  whole  town 
had  congregated  on  our  roof.  There  were  lamas  in  their 
scarlet  robes,  the  lavman  in  his  brown  yak-hair  homespun 
gown,  women  clad  in  their  hempen  accordion-pleated  skirts 
and  short  tight  jackets.  They  were  all  curious  to  see  the 
strange  people  who  had  come  in  their  midst  so  unexpectedly. 
We  were  not  long  in  making  friends  and  gaining  their  con- 
fidence. Each  of  the  lamas,  and  such  laymen  as  could  read, 
were  supphed  with  books.  It  was  interesting  to  see  them 
collect  in  groups  examining  the  clear  type  and  passing  com- 
pHmentary  remarks  on  the  quality  of  the  paper  and  the  wTit- 
ing.  •  We  trust  they  understood  the  message  these  books 
brought  to  them.  They  soon  began  to  gather  around  me, 
reporting  their  aches  and  pains — some  toothache  and  rheu- 
matism, others  with  ulcers  and  skin  diseases  of  every  kind. 
I  w\as  kept  busy  till  dark  extracting  teeth,  washing  and 
dressing  sores.  Their  fear  of  the  foreigner  had  vanished, 
and  old  men  and  women  and  young  maidens  alike  pressed 
for  their  turn  of  attention.  One  old  lady  sat  down  on  the 
floor  and  let  me  extract  two  roots  and  one  badly  decayed 
tooth,  all  of  which  were  giving  her  a  great  deal  of  trouble. 
She  did  not  even  groan  ;  and  when  I  had  finished,  though 
the  blood  was  flowing  freely,  directed  my  attention  to  two 
other  roots  on  the  other  side,  which  she  was  anxious  that  I 
should  remove.  But  fearing  that  she  might  lose  too  much 
blood  I  advised  her  to  wait  until  the  morning  to  finish  the 
operation.      When    the    party    broke    up    it    was    well    on 

158 


Forward  to  Somo. 


to  10  o'clock,  but  each  with  a  pohte  bow  said  "  good-night  " 
before  descending  the  staircase.  We  found  the  report  of  the 
Chief's  absence  was  quite  true,  and  some  weeks  hiter  we  met 
him  at  Drukagi,  where  he  was  trying  to  sohcit  help  from 
that  State  against  the  people  of  Ngaba,  with  whom  he  and 
his  expected  to  engage  in  war  at  any  minute.  The  Chief's 
wife  and  family  were  extremely  friendly,  and  sent  letters  by 
us  to  her  husband.  These  I  personally  handed  over  to  him, 
and  he  seemed  greatly  pleased  with  their  contents,  and  was 
a  good  friend  to  us  during  our  stay  at  Drukagi. 

Here  we  were  supposed  to  get  ula ;  but,  on  account  of 
our  Fusong  wanting  to  make  too  big  a  squeeze,  the  people 
would  not  bring  their  animals  in  until  we  promised  to  pay 
for  them. 

We  now  found  out  the  reason  why  the  doors  were  closed 
in  our  faces  on  arrival.  I  was  told  in  confidence  that  my 
Fusong,  on  my  previous  journey  had  demanded  fourteen  horses 
and  ten  carriers  to  convey  me  and  my  belongings  to  the  next 
chief,  and  that  when  the  animals  were  brought  in  he  had 
refused  to  take  them,  saying  he  must  have  the  money  in- 
stead. The  price  of  a  horse  for  a  stage  in  the  country  where 
ula  is  used  is  three  chien  of  silver  per  animal,  and  one  chien 
for  each  carrier.  This  meant  that  the  Fusong  had  extracted 
about  fifteen  shillings  from  the  people,  besides  getting  a  free 
ride  over  the  pass.  Of  course  I  knew  nothing  of  it  until  after 
we  had  passed  the  place  several  days,  and  then  only  discovered 
it  through  a  quarrel  between  the  interpreter  and  the  Fusong. 
On  this  occasion,  however,  I  made  it  very  clear,  both  to  my 
escort  and  the  people,  that  wlien  I  asked  for  animals  I  ex- 
pected to  pay  for  them,  and  that  on  no  condition  would  I 
allow  the  Fusong  to  extract  money  from  them  on  my  account. 
When  this  was  understood  the  people  felt  quite  differently 
towards  us,  though  I  cannot  say  the  Fusong  was  altogether 
pleased,  nor  did  he  exert  himself  on  our  behalf  as  on  former 

159 


Sport  and   Travel   on   the   Til^etan   Steppes. 

journeys.  I  believe  that  much  of  the  trouble  experienced 
by  so  many  travellers  in  China  and  Tibet  is  due  to  these  blood- 
suckers, who,  while  they  are  serving  the  foreigner  and  ex- 
tracting all  they  can  from  him,  do  not  fail  to  do  likewise 
to  their  own  people,  placing  the  blame  on  their  innocent 
employer. 

On  the  morning  of  June  7  we  left  the  village  of  Miala  behind 
and  climbed  up  2,000  feet,  only  to  descend  again  to  the  river 
bed  on  the  other  side  of  the  spur.  We  followed  the  stream, 
which  for  five  miles  flowed  through  a  dense  forest,  and  on 
emerging  from  this  we  entered  a  cultivated  plain,  on  which 
were  five  small  villages  or  groups  of  houses,  all  surrounded 
by  green  fields.  The  chinku  (a  kind  of  huskless  barley), 
about  the  only  crop  grown  at  this  altitude  (for  we  were  now 
quite  10,000  feet  above  the  sea),  had  not  yet  grown  to  more 
than  two  inches  above  the  ground  and  would  not  be  harvested 
till  September.  For  the  last  five  miles  of  this  stage  it  rained 
hard  and  we  all  got  wet  to  the  skin.  On  reaching  Chintouchai, 
the  last  village  before  ascending  the  pass,  we  were  able  to 
secure  rooms  in  the  same  house  that  I  had  stopped  in  the 
year  before,  and  the  whole  party  were  soon  sitting  roimd  a 
great  fire  in  the  large  kitchen,  steaming  ourselves  dry,  for 
even  our  bedding  had  got  wet,  so  heavy  was  the  rain.  All 
through  the  night  it  continued  to  pour,  but  towards  morning 
it  turned  to  snow,  and  when  we  awoke  it  was  falling  so  thickly 
that  we  could  not  see  any  distance.  The  hills  were  covered 
a  foot  deep  by  8  o'clock,  and  there  was  quite  six  inches  in  the 
valley.  What  were  green  fields  the  evening  before  were 
white  fields  now.  The  men  said  it  was  impossible  to  cross 
the  pass,  so  we  turned  in  again  as  there  was  nothing  to  be 
done,  and  one's  pukai  (a  Chinese  quilt),  which  serves  the 
purpose  of  both  mattress  and  bedding,  was  by  far  the  most 
comfortable  place  in  such  weather. 

I  was  not  to  enjoy  this  very  long,  however,  for  at  9.30  the 
160 


Forward   to   Somo. 


interpreter  came  into  my  room  in  great  excitement,  and 
reported  that  my  horse  had  broken  loose  and  got  out  of  the 
stable,  and  they  could  find  no  trace  of  him.  I  sent  the  inter- 
preter and  head  coolie  in  search  of  him,  and  neither  of  them 
having  returned  by  the  time  I  had  had  breakfast  I  too  joined  in 


IINKSE    MAN  I  >A  KIN. 


the  hunt.  I  could  track  the  horse  by  his  shoes,  and  soon 
found  that  he  had  taken  the  road  toward  home.  After  I  had 
followed  him  thirty  li  (ten  miles)  through  the  mud  and  slush 
(for  the  snow  had  now  pretty  well  melted)  I  met  some  coolies 
who  reported  thej-  had  seen  a  horse  near  IMiala,  some  ten  li 
further  on,   and  that  he  was   still  making  toward  Tsakalao 

(II243)  i6i  M 


Sport  and   Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

as  hard  as  he  could  go.  I  had  run  most  of  the  way,  but  1 
now  increased  my  pace  down  the  mountain  side,  hoping  he 
might  turn  into  the  place  where  he  had  been  stabled  at  Miala  ; 
but  on  arrival  there  I  learned  that  he  had  galloped  straight 
through  the  village,  and  that  my  coolie  had  gone  after  him. 
Some  five  h  further  on  we  could  see  the  ho  rse,hke  a  little  speck, 
coming  towards  us,  nibbling  a  bit  of  grass  and  then  trotting 
forward  a  little.  Later  we  could  distinguish  the  coolie  hob- 
bling along  behind  him,  driving  him  towards  us.  The  road 
ran  through  the  plain  below  Miala,  and  I  knew  there  was 
no  use  trying  to  catch  him  there,  so  went  back  and  waited 
for  him  in  a  stone  lane  near  the  vihage,  and,  just  as  he  came 
round  the  corner,  caught  him.  At  the  village  I  got  some  food 
and  borrowed  a  saddle.  In  trying  to  catch  the  pony  the 
coohe  had  been  knocked  down,  and  was  so  badly  hurt  that 
I  had  to  put  him  on  the  horse's  back  and  lead  them  both 
toward  Chintouchai.  At  the  top  of  the  hill  we  met  one  of 
our  muleteers  coming  in  search  of  us,  and  on  his  mule  I  put 
the  coolie,  and  mounting  my  horse  galloped  him  all  the  way 
back,  and  got  in  nearly  three  hours  ahead  of  the  others.  I 
was  determined  to  pay  the  pony  back  for  the  tramp  he  had 
led  me,  but  I  am  not  so  sure  that  I  did  not  get  the  worst  of 
it.  The  saddle  I  borrowed  was  an  old  hard  one,  which  did 
not  seem  to  fit  me  very  well,  and  my  horse  seemed  as  fresh 
at  the  end  of  the  run  as  when  we  set  out.  It  was  4  p.m. 
when  I  returned,  and  we  had  perforce  to  spend  the  night 
in  camp. 

Next  morning  by  5.30  we  were  on  tlie  march  and  soon 
entered  a  thick  forest,  through  which  the  road  ran  for  fifteen  li. 
Then  we  came  out  on  the  grass  land  at  the  foot  of  the  pass, 
and  soon  overtook  a  caravan  of  some  sixty  mules,  laden  with 
tea,  which  had  camped  for  the  night,  and  was  just  loading 
up  to  start  on  the  steep  and  arduous  climb  over  the  pass 
called    Chiku   Shan   ("  Eat-bitterness  Mountain  "  the  pass  is 

162 


Forward   to   SoiiK^. 


called)  ;  and  when  the  snow  hes  deep  on  its  slopes,  and  espe- 
cially in  the  "saddle,"  through  which  one  goes  on  reaching  the 
top,  it  is  quite  worthy  of  its  reputation,  and  has  claimed 
many  victims  during  the  winter  seasons.  There  are  many 
wild  tales  told  of  how  the  Black  River  people  raid  the  caravans 
while  crossing  this  pass,  and  muleteers  always  club  together 
in  large  bands,  and  will  scarcely  ever  venture  over  when  there 
are  less  than  twenty  in  a  party.  Some  small  caravans  wait  for 
days  just  above  Chintouchai  until  a  large  caravan  arrives 
and  there  joins  them.  While  crossing  this  pass  12,000  feet 
above  sea-level  the  grade  is  quite  gradual,  and  the  climb  is 
only  a  little  over  2,000  feet  from  the  base  of  the  mountain 
to  the  top  ;  but  by  the  time  the  traveller  has  reached  it  lie 
will  imagine  it  to  be  several  times  that  altitude.  At  the 
top  there  were  still  deep  snow  drifts,  but  tliese  were  melting 
away,  and  we  found  the  purple  and  yellow  poppies  and  many 
other  flowers  in  bloom  almost  at  the  edge  of  the  snow  drifts. 
A  drop  of  2,500  feet  in  about  four  miles  took  us  to  Matang, 
a  little  tumbled-down  trading  station  w^here  the  tea  is  de- 
posited, and  where  the  Tibetans  and  tribesmen  from  the 
upper  Kermer  and  part  of  the  Ngaba  bring  in  their  wool, 
hides  and  animals,  in  exchange  for  Chinese  commodities. 
The  inhabitants  of  Matang  are  nearly  all  Mohammedans. 
This  place  is  too  high  to  produce  even  vegetables,  and  the 
only  occupation  of  the  people  is  to  trade  with  the  natives 
in  the  surrounding  country. 

Ta-erh  Wang  Chen,  the  Chief  of  the  Black  River  district, 
had  arrived  some  hours  before  us,  and  was  in  his  Kunghuan, 
or  private  residence,  in  which  he  puts  up  when  passing  this 
way.  His  lordship  called  on  us  soon  after  our  arrival.  The 
main  object  of  his  call,  however,  was  to  see  if  we  had  a  gun 
for  sale  !  He  was  on  his  way  to  see  the  Somo  Tussu  and 
discuss  the  war  that  was  imminent. 

At  8.30  he  sent  his  men  up  and  invited  us  to  come  and 
(1 1243)  163  M  :: 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

see  him.  We  had  called  before  but  they  were  in  council, 
and  had  asked  us  to  wait  till  later.  We  were  ushered  into  a 
room,  at  the  head  of  which  sat  Ta-erh  Wang  Chen  and  his 
brother  on  rich  Turkish  cushions.  In  front  of  them  was  a 
large  handsome  brazier,  on  which  were  pots  of  steaming 
tea  made  from  the  coarse  Kuanhsien  leaves,  with  plenty  of 
milk,  and  a  goodly  supply  of  salt  added  thereto. 

The  walls  were  covered  with  fuse  guns,  swords,  daggers, 
spears  and  armour  ;  while  along  both  sides  of  the  large  room 
sat,  or  rather  squatted,  some  fifty  of  his  retainers  and  followers. 
All  rose  to  their  knees  and  bowed  their  heads  as  we  entered. 
I  was  given  a  seat  one  place  below  the  Chief  at  his  left  hand, 
which  is  the  seat  of  honour.  Hot  wine  was  offered  first,  and 
when  I  refused  it  hot  tea  from  the  steaming  pot  before  us 
was  poured  out,  and  we  sipped  and  chatted  till  after  lo  o'clock. 

Ta-erh  Wang  Chen  has  a  peculiar  voice,  more  like  the  quack 
of  a  drake  than  anything  I  can  think  of.  He  understands 
and  can  speak  some  Chinese,  but  most  of  the  conversation 
was  carried  on  through  an  interpreter.  He  took  a  fancy  to 
my  little  pony  and  I  let  him  have  it,  though  it  was  an  old 
friend,  on  condition  that  when  I  wanted  to  go  through  his 
territory  he  would  give  me  a  pass  and  escort,  which  he 
promised  to  do. 


164 


CHAPTER    XII. 

The  Jourxey  to  Chosschia. 

On  leaving  Matang  we  descended  an  easy  grade  and  soon 
reached  the  Kermer  River,  a  stream  flowing  from  the  north. 
At  Changku,  the  point  where  we  crossed,  it  is  spanned  by  a 
cantilever  bridge,  and  there  turns  west  and  continues  this 
general  course,  until  it  joins  the  Kwanyin  River  at  Damba, 
and  from  this  point,  Changku,  the  united  stream  is  known 
as  the  Tachin  Ho  (Great  Gold  River). 

We  followed  the  right  bank  of  this  stream.  All  the  way 
to  the  capital  of  So  mo  the  river  was  a  foaming  torrent,  and 
for  the  most  part  of  the  way  we  passed  through  a  dense  forest, 
which  extended  from  the  river's  bank  to  the  lofty  peaks, 
several  thousand  feet  above  our  heads.  Here  and  there 
where  the  valley  opened  out  a  little,  some  lonely  farm  houses 
were  seen  nestling  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs,  or  perched  on 
their  sides.  About  4  p.m.  we  emerged  from  this  forest  and 
got  the  first  view  of  the  fertile  valley  of  So  mo,  dotted  with 
its  many  villages,  the  houses  of  which  are  all  built  of  stone  ; 
most  of  them  three-storey  high,  and  some  even  running  to 
five  storeys. 

While  we  were  resting  and  admiring  the  view  that  had 
opened  out  before  us,  we  heard  the  war  cry  of  the  Black 
River  warriors,  which  rose  above  the  deafening  roar  of  the 
Kermer.  Their  cry  came  nearer  and  nearer,  so  we  decided 
to  wait  and  let  them  pass,  as  the  road  was  wide  where  we 
were.  It  was  not  long  until  the  leaders  appeared,  some  of 
them  riding  very  fine  mules  and  ponies,  others  at  a  half  run 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

holding  to  the  tails  of  the  animals,  which  were  laden  with  their 
camping  outfit  and  instruments  of  war.  The  cavalcade  was 
a  very  extended  one,  and  they  came  in  bunches  of  threes  and 
fours,  and  were  spread  out  over  about  two  miles. 

We  could  not  wait  any  longer  for  them  and  started  off 
and  marched  in  their  ranks  for  some  distance.  They  were 
a  jolly  lot.  Once,  when  the  advanced  guard  stopped  to  wait 
for  their  caravan,  which  was  at  the  rear,  and  had  not  been 
able  to  keep  up,  we  attempted  to  pass  on.  Some  of  them, 
out  of  fun,  turned  their  animals  across  the  road  and  tried  to 
block  it,  and  at  first  we  were  not  quite  sure  of  their  intention, 
but  soon  discovered  it  was  only  play.  No  doubt  they  wanted 
to  see  if  we  were  easily  frightened.  Finally  we  passed  the 
whole  cavalcade,  which  stopped  to  wait  until  their  chief 
overtook  them. 

After  a  five-mile  walk  through  cultivated  fields,  in  which 
was  a  good  crop  of  barley  and  wheat  just  coming  into  head, 
we  found  ourselves  at  the  little  bridge  at  the  foot  of  the  spur 
on  which  stood  the  castle  and  a  group  of  houses,  mostly 
occupied  by  the  Tussu's  retainers. 

Several  of  the  houses  are  also  owned  by  representative 
men  of  districts  throughout  the  realm. 

On  my  former  visit  I  lodged  in  one  of  the  houses  inside  of 
the  palace  enclosure,  which  belonged  to  the  Hei  Shui  Chief, 
but  on  this  occasion  he  would  need  it  himself,  for  he  and 
his  followers  would  fill  every  bit  of  available  space,  and  we 
wondered  where  we  would  get  accommodation. 

I  went  on  ahead  to  secure  lodgings,  and  on  the  green  near 
the  bridge  I  found  most  of  the  inhabitants,  both  old  women 
and  young  maidens,  old  men  and  boys,  together  with  local 
headmen  or  chiefs,  all  kneeling  on  the  grass,  while  Tibetan 
rugs  were  spread  out,  on  which  they  were  to  entertain  and 
welcome  the  Chief  of  the  famous  Black  River  people.  I  was 
riding  along  with  two  of  Daerh  Wang's  heralds,  and,  according 

1 66 


The  Journey   to  Chosscliiii. 


to  custom,  we  all  dismounted  when  we  drew  near  and  were 
saluted  by  the  waiting  party. 

I  inquired  where  we  were  to  lodge,  and  a  man  was  told  off 
to  guide  the  way.  We  were  led  to  a  fine  large  stone  house 
at  the  back  of  the  palace,  and  about  half-a-mile  to  the  west 
of  it,  where  we  found  comfortable  quarters. 

After  passing  up  a  long  stone  lane  we  entered  a  large  court- 
yard, surrounded  by  a  stone  wall,  where  the  animals  were 
put  up. 

On  going  through  the  heavy  doors,  over  which  the  skull 
of  a  bear  was  hung  to  keep  away  evil  spirits,  we  passed  through 
an  opening  in  the  thick  wall  of  the  house  and,  turning  to  our 
right,  entered  a  large  room  forty  feet  long  by  thirty  feet  wide, 
in  the  centre  of  which  was  the  usual  fireplace,  and  a  great  fire 
burning  under  huge  pots  that  stood  on  iron  tripods,  each  pot 
holding  about  fifty  gallons  of  water.  This  was  the  general 
kitchen  and  living  room.  We  did  not  stay  here,  but  were 
led  up  two  dark  stairways  to  the  third  floor,  and  shown  to  a 
very  nice  room  in  the  centre  of  which  also  was  a  fireplace 
and  a  pot  almost  as  large  as  those  below.  Wood  was  pro- 
vided, but  as  there  was  no  chimney,  and  the  only  way  for  the 
smoke  to  escape  was  through  the  two  small  windows,  which 
did  not  afford  much  light  to  the  room  ;  we  preferred  to  be 
without  a  fire,  and  to  have  our  food  cooked  in  the  kitchen 
below. 

Although  we  did  not  have  a  fire  in  our  room,  we  were  not 
without  our  share  of  the  smoke,  for  when  all  the  coolies 
arrived,  each  group  wanted  a  fire  to  themselves,  and  the  smoke 
came  in  clouds  up  the  stairway  ;  and,  not  being  able  to  escape 
with  sufficient  rapidity  through  the  windows  in  the  outer 
wall,  much  of  it  found  its  way  into  our  apartment.  This 
made  life  so  miserable  that  we  had  to  go  down  and  put  out 
some  of  the  fires,  and  inform  the  coolies  they  must  be  content 
to  use  the  one  general  fire,  as  they  would  liave  to  do  in  a 

169 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

Chinese  inn,  or  else  buy  their  own  wood  and  go  outside  to 
burn  it. 

We  spent  all  the  next  day  here.  A  number  of  people  came 
about,  but  we  were  not  able  to  see  the  Tussu  ;  he  was  some 
distance  away,  worshipping  in  a  temple,  and  imploring  the 
idols  to  endow  him  with  wisdom  before  attending  the  council 
of  war. 

Next  morning  our  ula  arrived  and  by  9  o'clock  we  were 
on  the  march.  For  the  first  four  miles  the  valley  was  cul- 
tivated, then  we  again  entered  thick  undergrowth  with  a 
few  large  trees  scattered  about.  Fire  had  run  through  some 
parts  of  it.  There  was  nothing  of  particular  interest  until 
we  reached  Mami  Chiao.  There  were  a  few  houses  here,  in 
one  of  which  I  had  put  up  for  the  night  during  my  travels 
in  1907. 

The  cantilever  bridge  that  spanned  the  river  was  leaning  at 
quite  an  angle,  and  we  had  to  be  careful  lest  it  should  collapse 
like  the  one  at  Tsakalao  ;  however,  we  got  safely  across  and 
the  bridge  was  still  standing  when  we  left  it. 

A  stiff  chmb  brought  us  to  the  top  of  the  spur,  and  here 
we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  town  of  Drukagi,  as  well  as  of  a 
good  part  of  the  State. 

After  a  long  detour  down  a  zigzag  path  we  reached  the 
town.  The  interpreter  and  escort  had  gone  on  ahead,  but 
when  we  arrived  they  had  not  succeeded  in  securing  accom- 
modation, so  we  had  to  stand  in  the  street  for  some  time. 

Finally  a  house  was  put  at  our  disposal,  but  the  people 
refused  to  sell  us  wood.  They  had  not  been  very  friendly  when 
I  passed  through  here  before,  but  they  seemed  more  sullen  than 
ever  this  time. 

After  a  little  some  of  the  people  became  more  talkative, 
and  we  found  out  that  our  Chinese  friend,  in  the  interest  of 
schools,  had  left  word  with  the  Tussu  that  if  any  foreigner 
ever  passed  through  this  way  again  they  were  to  take  him 

170 


The  Journey  to  Chosschia. 


prisoner  and  escort  him  out.  My  letter  from  So  Tussu  and 
Colonel  Kao  had  rather  put  a  different  aspect  on  things,  and 
they  felt  they  must  at  least  give  us  a  place  to  sleep  in.  The 
Tussu,  who  is  a  Lama,  left  early  next  morning  for  a  temple 
situated  some  distance  up  the  stream,  flowing  from  the  south- 
west. He  told  our  interpreter  that  he  had  no  time  to  get  us 
ula  or  an  escort,  and  had  left  no  one  with  power  to  act.  The 
interpreter  went  up  several  times  to  try  to  get  an  escort  and 
had  for  his  pains  a  blank  shot  fired  out  of  one  of  the  windows 
of  the  palace  at  him. 

We  spent  the  day  here,  but  were  not  able  to  do  much  more 
than  make  friends  with  a  few  of  the  people  on  the  street,  and 
next  morning  we  left.  Following  the  river  which  here  runs 
a  little  north  of  west,  we  arrived  at  a  large  monastery  called 
Maerhkang  Cumba,  five  miles  below  Drukagi.  The  people 
and  Lamas  were  quite  friendly  and  we  spent  an  hour  chatting 
with  them,  but  they  would  not  let  us  enter  the  monastery. 

From  Maerhkang  a  road  leads  up  one  of  the  ravines  to  the 
grass  land  of  Drukagi  and  on  to  Ngaba.  From  here  we 
continued  down  the  right  bank  of  the  stream,  passing  through 
a  cultivated  valley  with  groups  of  the  usual  stone  houses 
on  the  hillsides,  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  At  last  we  sighted 
Runga  on  the  spur  of  a  hill,  and  the  great  castle  in  which  the 
Princess  lives,  by  far  the  most  prominent  edifice  in  the  town. 
The  Princess  refuses  to  marry,  lest  the  reins  of  government 
should  be  taken  from  her.  She  is  greatly  influenced  by  the 
Lamas,  and  spends  a  great  deal  of  her  time  in  a  large  monastery 
on  a  mountain  some  five  miles  from  her  castle.  A  report 
has  it  that  she  is  not  as  virtuous  as  she  would  lead  people 
to  believe,  and  spends  a  good  deal  of  her  time  with  a  favourite 
Lama  in  the  temple.  The  rest  of  his  time  is  taken  up  reciting 
prayers  before  the  castle  idols  and  acting  as  prime  minister 
in  temporal  affairs.  A  Lama  will  probably  succeed  the 
Princess  in  the  near  future.     The  Lamas  already  have  control 

173 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

of  several  States  and  are  aiming  at  greater  things.  It  is 
strange  that  these  shepherds  of  the  flock  are  not  satisfied 
with  the  control  of  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  people,  but 
are  anxious  to  grasp  the  State  and  all  its  property  and 
completely  control  it. 

A  very  nice  place  was  put  at  our  disposal,  and  the  people 
soon  gathered  round.  Many  of  them  came  for  medicine, 
and  brought  vegetables,  eggs,  meat  and  barley  meal  as  a 
thankoffering  ;  those  who  could  read  were  given  books  and 
we  were  kept  busy.  Several  of  the  headmen  or  local  chiefs 
came  and  spent  most  of  the  time  with  us,  partly  to  see  how 
we  treated  the  people,  and  hear  what  we  had  to  say  to  them. 

Mr.  Brooke  and  Mr.  Meares  went  over  to  the  monastery  at  the 
other  side  of  the  river,  and  gave  some  small  mirrors  to  the  people, 
trying  to  make  friends  ;  but  their  effort  was  not  very  success- 
ful, for  some  of  the  priests  objected  to  the  maidens  being  able 
to  see  their  own  faces  in  the  small  glasses  presented,  lest  they 
should  really  know  how  pretty  they  looked.  So  the  priests 
had  the  mirrors  all  collected  and  broken  up,  saying  that  by 
means  of  these  reflectors  the  foreigners  would  get  possession 
of  their  souls.  There  is  a  belief  current  that  to  look  into  a 
looking  glass  will  cause  an  abortion,  which  is  why  so  many 
of  them  object  to  being  photographed.  To  avert  this  influence 
the  priests  called  all  the  holy  men  together,  and,  in  chorus, 
from  the  roof  of  the  temple,  they  clanged  their  cymbals, 
blew  their  trumpets,  read  their  holy  books,  and  poured  out 
all  the  curses  in  their  ritual  on  the  foreigner's  head,  for  his 
attempt  to  harm  the  people  under  their  care.  They  were 
surprised  that  their  curses  seemed  to  have  but  little  influence 
on  the  bearing  towards  us  of  the  common  people  who  liad 
become  used  to  us  and  had  received  our  medicine,  and 
certainly  we  did  not  seem  to  mind  their  cursing  in  the  least. 
The  next  day  many  who  had  been  helped  by  the  medicines 
they  had  received  the  previous  day  came  to  thank  me,  and 

174 


SOME    POPI'lES    NEAR    THE    SNOW-LINE. 


The  Journey  to  Chosschia. 


brought  friends  along  to  have  their  troubles  attended  to  ; 
even  some  of  the  Lamas  came  for  medicine.  As  we  passed 
the  temple  on  our  way  to  the  State  of  Damba  they  all  gathered 
on  the  roof  of  their  temple  again  and  in  loud  chorus  continued 
their  most  impressive  ceremony  of  yesterday;  but  with  no 
better  result,  for  w^e  quietly  stood  by  and  j^hotographed  them, 
much  to  their  amazement. 

Passing  up  a  broad  valley,  covered  with  grass  on  which 
were  many  horses  and  cattle  feeding,  we  came  to  a  small 
monastery,  called  Tawei.  Here  we  turned  due  west,  and 
started  up  a  steep  incline.  After  climbing  for  about  a  mile, 
the  grade  became  more  gradual  and  we  came  to  farms  where 
they  were  just  sowing  their  buckwheat.  It  came  on  to  fain, 
and  the  pass  that  was  still  far  above  us  was  white  with  new- 
fallen  snow,  so  we  stopped  for  the  afternoon  and  night  in  an 
old  farmhouse,  used  only  in  the  autumn,  when  the  farmers 
come  up  to  reap  the  harvest. 

Next  morning  it  w^as  line  and  we  made  an  early  start. 
Before  going  far  we  entered  a  thick  undergrowth,  which  soon 
gave  way  to  a  dense  forest  of  scrub,  oak,  birch  and  a  few 
white  firs  intermingled.  All  were  draped  in  fairy  scarf,  some 
of  which  must  have  reached  a  length  of  thirty  feet.  This  fairy 
scarf  is  a  kind  of  lichen,  a  cellular  crypt ogamous  plant,  which 
chngs  to  the  bark  of  the  trees  and  hangs  in  long  stre;\mers 
from  the  hmbs  and  branches.  This  lichen  is  almost  like 
fine  hemp  or  flax  fibre,  and  rope  made  of  it  is  quite 
strong. 

For  hours  w^e  travelled  along  a  narrow  pathway  on  the  side 
of  the  cliff,  arched  over  by  branches  of  shrub  oak,  which 
grows  from  ten  to  fourteen  inches  at  the  trunk,  and  these  were 
all  draped  in  the  same  silvery  green  ribbons.  On  we  marched 
till  we  came  out  on  a  grass  valley  where  we  had  dinner.  To 
the  west  was  the  snow-capped  range  and  pass,  the  other 
three  sides  covered  with  forest.  The  cry  of  large  flocks  of 
(11243)  177  ^' 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes, 


grouse,  as  they  flew  up  on  all  sides  of  us,  was  the  only  sound 
that  broke  the  stillness. 

After  lunch  we  set  out  for  the  final  climb,  and  toiled  for 
another  three  miles,  up  through  deep  snow  drifts,  in  which 
the  animals  almost  floundered,  and  w^e  had  much  difficulty  in 
reaching  the  top.  It  was  a  beautiful  day  and  well  worth  while 
to  stand  on  this  pinnacle  of  Pewa  Pass,  the  dividing  line 
between  Runga  and  Damba  State,  and  gaze  upon  the  pano- 
rama that  opened  out  before  us.  From  here  we  could  see 
over  a  great  part  of  Damba  State,  which  is  not  a  very  large 
one,  being  only  about  forty  miles  square,  the  most  part 
of  which  is  mountainous  and  uninhabited.  The  valleys  are 
quite  fertile  and  thickly  populated,  and  in  many  secluded 
spots  lonely  houses  were  hid  away  from  general  view.  The 
people  of  Damba  are  very  proud  of  their  reputation,  and 
tradition  says  they  were  famous  w^arriors  and  most  fearless  men. 

Three  hours'  hard  march  brought  us  down  the  steep 
mountain  side,  first,  through  beds  of  wild  flowers,  then  through 
another  dense  forest,  and  finally  out  to  cultivated  fields  on 
to  the  village  of  Drozer,  where  we  put  up  for  the  night  and 
changed  our  guide  and  ula.  It  was  a  beautiful  clear  night 
and  we  got  a  latitude,  after  the  inhabitants  had  all  retired, 
for  we  had  to  be  careful  not  to  arouse  their  suspicions  by 
doing  much  star-gazing. 

Word  was  sent  out  to  the  people  on  the  mountains,  whose 
turn  it  was  to  escort  us,  and  early  next  morning  they  were 
waiting  before  we  had  finished  breakfast.  It  was  a  new  thing 
not  to  have  to  wait  for  ula,  which  is  the  only  drawback  to 
the  system,  so  far  as  the  traveller  is  concerned,  for  not  only 
does  it  ensure  a  safe  transit  from  one  tribe  to  another,  but 
the  charge  is  quite  moderate.  The  Chinese  seldom  give  them 
anything,  but  I  believe  in  always  paying  a  proper  price  for 
their  help. 

We  only  travelled  some  five  miles  further  down  mto  the 
178 


The    lonrncv   to  ('hosscbia. 


valley,  where  we  came  to  another  village,  where  there  is 
another  chief  or  headman.  It  was  his  duty  to  escort  us  to 
Damba  twenty  miles  further  on,  but  he  was  away  ;  so  we  had 
several  hours'  delay  before  we  could  get  animals  and  men 
from  the  mountains  to  take  us  on.  We  tried  to  hire  the 
men  who  had  come  from  Drozer  to  take  us  into  Damba,  but 
they  would  not  do  this,  saying  they  had  no  authority  to 
escort  us  through  the  other  chief's  district. 


Ifr: 


L'LA    AND    A    GRASS-LAM)    TRIKICSMAN. 


Brooke  and  Meares  went  on  with  some  of  the  coolies  and 
the  Chinese  escort,  while  I  remained  bi'hind  to  wait  for  the 
ula,  keeping  the  interpreter  with  me. 

It  was  a  long  wait,  and  by  2  o'clock  only  two  animals 
had  arrived.  We  waited  on  till  4  o'clock  and  at  last  I  saw 
the  other  yaks  coming  down  the  mountain  side,  and  put  my 
bedding  on  an  old  brok(Mi-down  horse  that  had  been  waiting 
mounted.  But  the  old  nag  refused  to  carry  me,  and  I  felt  it 
{11243)  179  ^  - 


sport  and   Travel  on   the  IMbetan   Steppes. 


was  much  safer  as  well  as  quicker  to  walk.  So  with  my  bedding 
on  the  ancient  steed  and  a  good  stick  in  my  hand  on  we  tramped 
down  to  the  depths  of  the  valley  quite  2,000  feet  below  our 
starting  point.  After  crossing  an  old  cantilever  bridge  we 
followed  the  left  bank  of  the  stream  for  some  two  miles,  and 
then  turned  up  a  ravine  and  up  a  steep  spur,  where  we  toiled 
for  an  hour  and  a-half,  my  female  guide  tugging  on  the  halter 
in  front  of  the  nag,  while  I  plied  the  stick  from  behind. 

At  last,  dripping  with  perspiration,  we  reached  the  top  Of 
the  pass.  The  sun  had  already  set,  and  there  were  ten  miles 
of  rough  road  yet  to  travel,  so,  without  waithig  to  take 
breath,  we  pushed  on,  and  in  tlie  twilight  overtook  the  rest 
of  the  party. 

They  had  waited  for  the  coohes,  and  counting  on  the  ula 
to  overtake  them,  had  pitched  their  tents  ;  but  while  I  talked 
with  them  my  escort  pushed  on  with  my  bedding,  and  was 
already  out  of  sight.  So,  as  I  knew  the  road,  and  also  people 
on  the  street  at  Damba,  I  gave  chase,  and  though  I  did  not 
overtake  my  guide  I  found  my  way  to  the  capital  in  the 
dark,  and  near  the  entrance  to  the  castle  met  two  men,  who 
took  a  message  to  the  Princess  that  I  had  arrived  and  would 
like  accommodation.  This  was  Colonel  Kao's  aunt,  who 
had  already  heard  of  our  coming  through  him,  so  I  was  given 
quarters  with  my  old  friend  of  the  year  before.  I  soon  found 
mv  bedding,  which  was  in  another  house  near  by,  where  my 
escort  had  put  up.  They  had  a  good  laugh  at  me  for  getting 
left  in  the  dark. 

A  pound  of  parched  barlev  meal,  some  milk  and  hot  tea 
were  now  brought  in,  and  I  don't  remember  tsamba  ever 
tasting  better.  If  my  readers  think  they  would  not  appreciate 
tsamba  for  supper  I  would  recommend  a  twenty-mile  tramp 
between  4  and  9.30  p.m.  with  a  climb  of  4,000  feet  and  several 
descents  of  2,000  feet  each.  If  they  have  not  had  anything 
to  eat  since   morning,   except   a  small  cake  made  of  coarse 


'I'hc    [oLirney  to   Chosschia. 

corntiour,  cooked  in  wood  asli,  I  will  guarantee  their  agreeing 
with  me  that  tsamba  is  good  food  when  one  is  hungry. 

After  supper  I  was  taken  on  the  roof  and  allowed  to  choose 
my  apartment.  I  took  the  best  there  was,  and  taking  a  large 
round  basket  about  six  feet  in  diameter  used  for  sunning  the 
grain,  made  my  bed  in  it,  under  the  projecting  roof,  and 
rolled  myself  in  my  quilt,  while  my  worthy  landlord  rolled 
himself  in  a  sheep-skin  gown  and  lay  on  the  roof  near  by. 
Needless  to  say  I  was  soon  in  the  land  of  know-nothing,  and 
was  only  aroused  by  the  shouts  of  the  interpreter  next  morning 
about  9  o'clock,  trying  to  find  out  where  I  was.  The  sun 
had  been  shining  full  in  my  face  for  some  time,  but  I  had  been 
quite  unconscious  of  it. 

The  rest  of  the  party  had  not  fared  so  well.  They  had 
pitched  their  tents  in  a  swampy  place  where  there  was  some 
wood,  but  it  was  so  wet  that  it  would  not  burn,  and  the  ula 
with  their  bedding  did  not  overtake  them ;  so  they  were  left 
to  pass  the  cold  night  with  what  they  had  on  them,  and  the 
next  morning  came  in  half  frozen  and  very  hungry. 

An  empty  house,  or  kung  kwan,  was  put  at  our  disposal, 
and  we  soon  made  ourselves  comfortable.  A  little  later 
the  ula  all  turned  up,  so  we  had  bacon  and  eggs  and  fried 
scones  for  breakfast,  and  a  bucket  of  milk  was  brought  in  by 
my  old  host,  and  that  morning  we  feasted. 

Here,  again,  the  people  gathered  around  us  for  medicine  ; 
and  as  Colonel  Kao  was  to  arrive  with  his  younger  brother, 
who  is  to  be  put  under  the  charge  of  a  Lama  here  to  be 
prepared  for  the  Tussuship  of  this  State,  when  his  aunt  dies, 
we  waited  another  day.  In  honour  of  their  arrival  there  was 
to  have  been  a  great  dance  ;  the  country  swains  and  the 
maidens  came  in  from  the  mountains  dressed  in  gay  colours, 
and  had  already  gathered  on  the  green  in  front  of  the  castle, 
when  three  men  rode  in  on  horseback,  and  said  some  brigands 
had  driven  off  a  large  herd  of  cattle.  ..  At  once  the  interesting 

iSi 


sport  and   Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

party  broke  up,  and  in  groups  of  fives  and  tens  were  seen 
hastening  away  to  guard  the  passes,  and  to  try  to  capture 
the  thieves  and  redeem  the  animals. 

After  spending  a  pleasant  two  days  here  we  passed  on  to 
Cheoser,  the  capital  of  Chosschia,  where  another  aunt  of 
Mr.  Kao's  resides,  and  is  the  wife  of  the  Tussu. 

We  had  got  the  Colonel  to  send  word  over  the  evening  he 
arrived  that  we  were  coming  and  to  arrange  for  our  enter- 
tainment. 

On  leaving  Damba,  we  descended  a  steep  hill,  and  after 
travelhng  four  miles  came  to  the  banks  of  Tachin. 

The  only  means  of  getting  to  the  other  side  was  by  means 
of  a  coracle,  a  craft  the  appearance  of  which  is  not  inspiring. 
It  is  made  of  a  very  slim  frame  of  willow  branches,  woven 
together  and  covered  with  a  raw  hide,  is  about  four  feet  in 
diameter  and  three  feet  deep,  and  will  hold  three  people.  I  have 
seen  four  natives,  who  were  used  to  these  skiffs,  cross  in  one. 
All  hands  huddle  down  in  the  bottom  with  their  legs  curled 
up  in  a  most  uncomfortable  position,  and  it  is  fatal  to  move 
after  the  craft  is  shoved  off.  As  for  ourselves,  we  shot  up 
stream  in  the  back  water  until  we  struck  the  current,  when 
the  coracle  was  sent  swirling  round  and  round  in  the  vortex 
and  bobbing  like  a  cork  on  the  waves.  One  moment  we  were 
down  in  the  trough  with  the  feeling  that  we  would  surely  be 
engulfed,  for  the  waves  seemed  much  higher  than  one's  head  ; 
the  next  we  were  riding  the  crest  of  the  waves,  but  all  the  time 
being  carried  down  stream  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  to  twenty 
miles  an  hour.  Just  below  the  landing  stage  the  river  foamed 
through  some  boulders  and  cut  the  shape  of  the  letter  S. 
To  a  stranger  it  looked  as  if  we  must  surely  be  carried  on 
to  the  boulders.  But  the  ferryman,  by  means  of  his  paddle, 
steered  and  dragged  the  coracle  forward  in  a  wonderful  way 
and  safely  landed  us,  and  it  really  needs  much  more  skill 
to  manage  one  of  these  crafts  than  it  does  a  birch  bark  canoe. 

1S2 


rhc-  Journey  to  Chosschia. 


We  now  found  our  way  to  the  town  of  Cheoser,  where  the 
Chief  had  set  apart  a  house  for  our  use.  The  courtyard  was 
soon  filled  with  Lamas  and  laymen,  old  women  and  young 
maidens,  all  anxious  to  have  another  look  at  the  stranger. 
But  all  were  friendly,  and  one  after  another  I  saw  them  point 
to  me  and  say  "  That  is  the  man  who  passed  through  last 
year."  Some  of  my  former  escort  came  forward  and  saluted 
me  by  falling  on  their  knees,  bowing  their  heads  and  saying 
"  Chou-ba-le-su,  kuzu  demo  duk-kam  "  ("  You  are  welcome  ; 
are  you  well  ?  "). 


.cS{ 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Through  the  Unexplored  Grassland. 

We  had  to  spend  three  days  at  Chosschia  waiting  for  ula, 
but  it  was  not  time  wasted. 

The  people  soon  began  to  gather  about,  afflicted  with  all 
kinds  of  ailments.  Priests  and  laymen,  women  and  girls, 
gathered  about  me  and  had  their  sores  dressed.  Skin  diseases 
and  sore  eyes  were  the  commonest  complaints,  but  there  were 
many  with  ulcered  legs,  and  some  of  both  sexes  with  syphilis 
and  kindred  diseases.  From  morning  till  night  I  was  kept 
busy,  for,  when  I  had  treated  all  who  came  to  our  lodgings, 
three  of  the  chiefs  sent  for  me  to  come  to  their  homes  and 
attend  to  some  sick  folk  who  were  not  able  to  come  out  for 
treatment. 

One  poor  woman  was  almost  eaten  up  with  leprosy,  and  her 
son  of  thirteen  years  lay  a  few  yards  away,  reduced  to  skin  and 
bone  ;  he  could  not  last  much  longer.  It  was  most  pathetic 
to  hear  their  pleading  for  help,  .but  I  could  offer  them  no 
hope.  I  gave  them  some  ointment  to  relieve  their  pain 
and  appease  their  minds  for  the  time  being  ;  they  seemed 
surprised  when  I  told  them  frankly  they  could  not  recover. 
The  mother  I  judged  to  be  about  thirty-tive  j^ears  of  age.  She 
had  heard  somehow  that  I  was  able  to  heal  the  sick,  and  had 
sent  her  eldest  son,  who  was  a  young  Lama  of  about  eighteen 
years  of  age,  to  bring  me  up.  All  the  chanting  of  the  Lamas  and 
their  so-called  holy  men  had  not  been  able  to  work  the  miracle 
of  healing,  and  now  she  believed  that  the  foreigner  could  do 
it.     I  shall  never  forget  that  face  of  sorrow  as  she  pleaded 

1S4 


'rhrouL^ii   the    Unexplored   Grassland. 

with  nie  for  help,  and  pointing  to  her  youngest  child,  a  little 
girl  of  about  five  years,  said  :  "If  I  could  only  live  until 
my  l^aby  was  old  enough  to  look  after  herself,  for  who  will 
care  for  my  baby  ?  "  The  tears  ran  down  her  cheeks,  and 
the  eyelashes  of  others  in  the  room,  for  some  reason,  were 
not  dry.  The  husband,  old  Tibetan  as  he  was,  kneeled  down 
beside  his  wife  as  tenderly  as  any  foreigner  could  have  done, 
and  whispered  to  her,  "  Do  not  worry  about  the  baby,  I  will 
care  for  her."  The  mother  did  not  quite  despair,  and  she 
insisted  that  I  should  accept  presents,  which  she  commanded 
her  husband  to  bring  to  me,  and  made  her  son,  the  Lama, 
carry  to  my  room.  I  think  this  was  the  saddest  case  I  have 
ever  attended  on  all  my  journeys  in  China  and  Tibet. 

From  this  home  I  was  escorted  from  house  to  house,  and 
had  to  attend  to  not  a  few  female  cases,  about  which  I  had 
not  the  least  idea  that  they  would  ever  consult  a  foreigner. 

Taken  to  the  palace  itself  I  found  a  poor  child  that  had 
fallen  mto  the  hot  ashes.  The  flesh  was  almost  falling  off 
the  bones  of  one  arm  and  part  of  the  shoulder,  and  the  stench 
was  something  tremendous  ;  but,  after  a  great  deal  of  work, 
I  removed  most  of  the  filth  and  scab,  thoroughly  cleansing 
the  sore,  and  it  was  wonderful  the  improvement,  even  in 
three  days.  The  father  and  mother,  who  at  first  would 
hardly  submit  to  my  using  water  to  cleanse  the  sore,  were 
so  surprised  at  the  result  that  they  sang  our  praises  far  and 
wide,  and  more  than  one  person  asked  me  to  stay  in  their 
country,  as  they  had  never  had  any  one  to  care  for  them 
like  this  before. 

Even  the  Prince  was  so  pleased  that  he  consented  to  let 
us  travel  across  the  Grassland  where  no  foreigner  had  ever 
been  allowed  to  pass,  and  sent  one  of  the  chief's  sons,  whose 
home  I  had  visited,  to  escort  us  to  Damtung,  the  capital  of 
Gaishechia. 

From  this  point  .Mr.  Meares  went  south,  down  the  valley 
1S5 


Sport  and   Travel   on   the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


of  the  Tachin,  with  the  cooHes  and  most  of  the  stuff,  while 
Mr.  Brooke  came  with  me.  We  packed  what  we  thought 
we  would  need  upon  the  horses  and  yaks  that  were  brought 
in  to  convey  us  westward.  A  tent,  a  few  camping  articles, 
bedding,  clothing  and  books,  a  good  supply  of  flour  and  some 
bacon — for  there  was  nothing  to  be  procured  en  route — com- 
prised our  outfit. 

When  all  was  ready  we  set  out — one  party  for  IMongung, 
the  other  for  the  Unknown  beyond.  The  whole  street  turned 
out  to  sec  us  off,  and  we  received  many  kind  farewells  and' 
much  advice  about  being  careful  on  the  road,  for  in  this 
country  even  their  own  people  never  know  when  they  may 
be  surprised  by  a  band  of  villains.  Our  interpreter  from 
Tsakalao  went  back  from  here,  not  understanding  the  lan- 
guage beyond  this  point.  So  we  started  out  with  quite  a 
stranger,  the  son  of  one  of  the  chiefs  to  whom  I  had  given 
medicine. 

This  young  man  proved  himself  a  very  good  guide  and 
interpreter,  but  he  had  neither  the  cunning  nor  the  experience 
of  my  friend  who  had  just  turned  back.  We  passed  up  a 
wide  valley  that  was  mostly  used  as  pasture  land  for  the 
milch  cows  of  the  town.  Great  boughs  of  wild  white  roses 
clung  in  clusters  of  bloom  over  the  stone  walls  that  surrounded 
the  fields.  The  birds  were  singing,  all  Nature  seemed  at 
peace,  and  we  were  happy  at  the  thought  that  kindness  and 
a  little  knowledge  had  won  our  victory  over  ignorance  and 
superstition. 

The  year  before  it  was  with  the  greatest  difficulty  I  had 
got  into  this  place,  and  the  people  were  not  friendly.  On 
one  occasion  Mr.  Edgar  had  arrived  there,  and  had  to  fly 
almost  for  his  life  ;  now  we  were  the  friends  of  the  people 
and  their  rulers,  and  were  travelling  under  an  escort  and 
with  documents  written  by  the  Prince  himself,  stating  that 
we  were  his  friends  and  must  be  protected  and  escorted  safely 

kS6 


'riir()Lij4"h   the    Lliicxplorcd   Grassland. 


through  his  country.  I  also  had  a  letter  on  my  person  to 
the  Prince  of  the  next  State  asking  that  he  would  receive 
us.     Our  success  was  even  greater  than  we  had  dreamed  of. 


A     BOWER    OK     WHITE     ROSES    NEAR   CHOSSCHIA   CASTLE— MR.    BROOKE    KEEDINt 
DOG  ;    INIERPRETER   ON    LEFT. 


We  rode  north-west  up  the  valley  for  about  three  miles, 
then  turned  south-west  up  the  side  of  the  mountain,  where 
we  toiled  for  some  hours,  tirst  through  a  rank  forest,  then  at 


Sport  and  Trav^el  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

8,000  feet,  coming  out  on  a  great  grass  slope  facing  south. 
A  Httle  later  we  came  to  a  long  stretch  of  cultivated  land. 
We  put  up  for  the  night  in  a  small  village  called  Rengack, 
where  we  were  comfortably  housed.  There  seemed  to  be 
an  epidemic  of  sore  eyes  all  through  this  country  and  I  had 
a  number  of  patients.  The  people  here,  fifteen  miles  from  the 
capital,  had  heard  of  our  doings  at  Chosschia,  and  flocked 
about  us  freely.  Goitre  seems  to  be  a  very  general  com- 
plaint all  through  this  country,  and  it  is  common  to  see  people 
— women  especially — going  about  with  a  great  pouch  hang- 
ing under  their  chin.  I  could  not  discover  the  cause,  but 
rather  think  it  is  the  mica  which  is  so  plentiful  about  here, 
and  which,  washed  down  by  the  melting  snows,  may  be  found 
in  the  sparkling  water  that  ripples  down  every  mountain 
side. 

There  .was  no  salt  or  brackish  water  about.  The  natives 
themselves  attribute  the  trouble  to  drinking  snow-water. 
I  noticed  that  where  the  surrounding  mountains  were  largely 
composed  of  mica  shist  there  goitre  was  most  prevalent. 

Another  day's  march  brought  us  to  the  first  tents  in  the 
grasslands.  Up  till  lo  a.m.  we  marched  on  through  fields 
of  waving  barley.  We  were  now  9,000  feet  above  sea-level, 
but  by  reason  of  the  southern  aspect  and  the  sandy  nature 
of  the  soil,  the  crops  were  well  advanced,  and  would  soon 
be  ready  for  the  sickle. 

On  crossing  a  small  stream  down  which  a  road  leads  from 
Yukoh  we  here  turned  south-west,  and  started  up  the  north- 
eastern slope  of  Mount  Zibzier.  When  we  crossed  the  stream 
we  were  over  10,000  feet  above  the  sea-level.  Here  we  entered 
a  forest,  and  for  four  miles  the  path  ran  through  as  wild  a 
track  of  country  as  one  could  wish  to  travel  in. 

By  noon  we  had  come  out  on  the  Grassland.  We  laboured 
up  the  slope,  passing  a  number  of  small  lakes  or  basins  kept 
full  of  water  from  the  melting  snow,  and  at  length  reached 


Through   the    Unexplored   Griissland. 

the  top  of  the  pass — 12,460  feet  high.  We  found  here  the 
U5ual  obo  or  pile  of  stones  in  whicli  are  inserted  poles  with 
prayer-flags  attached. 

From  the  top  of  this  pass  the  whole  country  lay  open  before 
us.  We  could  see  for  miles  to  the  south,  west  and  north 
away  over  the  forest,  and  far  to  the  east  over  the  country 
we  had  just  travelled  through.  On  the  mountain  lower 
down  we  could  see  little  black  specks  through  the  glasses 
feeding  on  the  slopes,  and  knew  that  w^e  were  nearing  the 
herds. 

Five  miles  down  a  gradual  slope  brought  us  to  the  camp 
where  the  Chief  lived.  Not  far  away  a  number  of  other  tents 
were  pitched,  and  the  mountain  sides  were  literally  covered 
with  thousands  of  yak  grazing.  A  few  small  calves  were 
tethered  near  the  tent,  and  a  huge  mastiff,  the  inevitable 
sentinel  of  every  Tibetan's  tent,  whose  deep  bass  bay  make 
the  very  slopes  vibrate,  warned  the  stranger  to  approach 
with  caution. 

On  arrival  our  interpreter  went  in  with  his  letter  from  the 
Prince,  for  here  we  were  to  change  our  ula.  We  waited  some 
time  and,  when  he  did  not  invite  us  in,  walked  up  to  the  tent, 
raised  the  flap,  stepped  in,  and  sat  down  about  the  fire  in 
Tibetan  fashion. 

The  tent  was  about  twenty-five  feet  long  by  fifteen  feet  wide, 
shaped  almost  like  the  bottom  of  a  Chinese  boat  when  turned 
upside  down.  The  sides  of  the  tent  were  so  arranged  that  it 
could  be  rolled  up  in  warm  weather,  and  in  the  centre  of  the 
roof  of  the  tent  was  a  long  slit  that  could  be  thrown  open  to  let 
the  smoke  out,  or  closed  over  at  night  to  keep  the  snow  and 
rain  out  and  the  heat  in.  In  the  centre  burned  the  usual 
argol  (dried  manure)  fire,  for  wood  had  to  be  carried  on  yak 
from  the  forest  ten  miles  away,  and  they  only  used  it  for 
starting  the  fire. 

A  large  pot  of  tea  was  boiling  and  a  bucket  of  milk  stood 
189 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


near  by ;  and  as  they  never  wash  these  a\  ooden  buckets  in 
which  they  milk  the  yak,  and  keep  the  milk  while  the  cream 
rises,  there  was  a  thick  coating  of  dirt  and  sour  milk  both 
inside  and  out.  However,  one  must  not  look  too  closely 
at  things  in  a  country  like  this,  though,  to  be  sure,  there 
is  no  need  for  a  magnifying  glass  to  enable  one  to  see  dirt, 
or  a  microscope  to  discover  bacteria.  The  milk  is  boiled 
and  then  put  in  wooden  vats,  when  it  sours  almost  imme- 
diately, but  the  people  claim  that  they  get  more  cream  that 
way,  and  make  more  butter.  After  I  saw  how  they  skimmed 
their  milk  I  was  convinced  they  were  right,  for  they  put  in 
a  great  deal  of  the  curd  with  the  cream,  and  this  curd  mixes 
with  the  butter  in  some  way,  and,  as  they  do  not  wash  the 
butter  after  it  is  churned,  it  is  about  half  curd.  Sometimes, 
when  I  have  washed  the  butter  before  using  it,  most  of  it 
has  run  off  in  the  water  in  the  form  of  butter- milk.  On  other 
occasions  I  have  used  Tibetan  butter  which  was  almost  pure 
milk-fat  and  of  a  very  good  quality  ;  but  a  good  plan  is  always 
to  use  a  knife  and  cut  carefully  through  it,  first  one  way 
and  then  another,  and  so  remove  the  long  yak  hairs  which 
are  so  abundant  in  the  butter,  especially  in  that  made  in  the 
springtime,  when  the  animals  are  casting  their  coats. 

The  Chief  promised  to  send  ula  the  next  morning,  and 
passed  us  on  to  Acree,  where  we  found  the  large  monasteiy 
of  Muska  Cumba. 

The  monastery  was  built  of  stone,  and  was  the  only  place 
where  there  was  any  attempt  at  fixed  dwellings.  The  in- 
habitants all  lived  in  tents,  which  they  pitched  wherever 
they  could  find  the  best  pasture  for  their  herds,  and  in  winter 
they  all  fed  in  the  lower  valleys  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
monastery,  12,137  feet  above  sea-level. 

We  had  somelittle  difficulty  in  getting  lodgings  in  the  temple, 
but  after  a  short  time  the  Lamas  allowed  us  to  put  our  things 
in  the  porch  of  the  gold-roofed  temple,  and  lodge  there  for 

190 


Through   the    Unexplon-d   Grassland. 


the  night.  We  were  able  to  distribute  a  few  bocjks  among 
the  Lamas,  but  could  not  get  much  information  from 
them,  though  they  were  much  more  friendly  when  we  left. 
There  were  several  private  residences  in  connection  with 
the  monastery,  and  we  saw  a  number  of  women  and 
children. 

At  10  o'clock  next  morning  the  ula  turned  up,  and  we  packed 
our  things,  paid  the  drivers  from  Chosschia  for  bringing  us 
thus  far,  and  proceeded  on  our  journey.  The  country  con- 
tinued of  the  same  undulating  character,  all  grass.  Many 
herds  were  pasturing,  especially  on  the  higher  slopes  above 
12,000  feet,  w^here  they  graze  in  the  summer  months, 
the  lower  valleys  being  reserved  for  the  winter  pasture 
lands. 

That  night,  after  crossing  another  pass  14,000  feet  high, 
we  reached  a  monastery  called  Kimlung,  which  was  about 
the  same  size  as  Muska,  -having  about  200  Lamas  and  100  lay 
families. 

At  first  the  Lamas  were  not  friendly,  but  on  our  showing 
our  letters  and  saying  that  if  we  informed  their  Tussu  of 
their  unwillingness  to  give  us  shelter  for  a  night  he  would 
not  be  pleased,  they  consented  to  allow  us  to  stay  in  a  large 
room  connected  with  a  private  residence,  and  later  brought 
us  wood  and  were  amicable.  A  number  of  people  came 
from  the  tents  for  medicine.  I  extracted  some  teeth,  which 
was  a  great  surprise  to  the  Lamas  ;  but  the  owners  of 
these  annoying  decayed  pieces  of  bone  were  very  grateful 
at  being  relieved  of  the  source  of  their  pain,  and  brought 
presents  of  milk  and  butter,  which  they  insisted  we  should 
accept. 

One  more  hard  day's  march  brought  us  to  Damtung,  where 
the  Tussu  of  Gaishechia  lives.  It  had  been  raining  nearly 
every  day  since  we  left  Chosschia  and  was  still  at  it  when  we 
arrived  at  Damtung.     Of  course  there  were  dry  spells  each 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

day,  but  in  this  country  one  minute  the  sky  is  black  with 
thunder-clouds,  and  an  hour  after  is  bright  blue. 

When  we  reached  Damtung  it  was  pouring,  and  we  were 
wet  through,  and  were  glad  when,  after  some  little  delay,  we 
were  shown  to  a  house  near  the  castle.  We  gathered  round 
a  fire  in  a  smoky  little  room,  cooked  our  supper,  dried  our 
clothes,  slept,  and  awaited  events  of  the  next  three  days. 


[92 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

In  the  Land  of  the  Cattle  Thieves. 

We  were  the  first  foreigners  who  ever  have  visited  Damtvmg, 
and  we  found  it  a  compact  Httle  town,  well  fortified  by  physi- 
cal conditions,  being  built  on  the  projection  of  a  mountain 
where  two  swift  streams  join,  both  of  which  it  would  be  most 
difficult  to  ford.  For,  while  the  streams  were  not  over  three  feet 
deep,  except  in  flood  time,  yet  they  came  rolhng  down  at 
such  a  rate  that  it  would  carry  men  or  animals  clean  off  their 
feet.  Now  it  was  a  roaring  cataract  on  both  sides  of  the 
capital.  The  photograph  will  give  a  better  idea  than  I  can 
make  with  my  pen.  Indeed,  my  pen  utterly  refuses  to  por- 
tray the  beauties  of  this  rare  and  wonderful  scenery,  so  I 
must  trust  to  the  illustrations  for  that,  and  confine  myself 
to  the  simple  story  of  what  took  place  on  the  march,  day 
by  day.  When  we  first  arrived  the  people  looked  on  us  with 
suspicion  and  were  very  shy,  but  they  were  not  long  in  chang- 
ing their  attitude.  Our  interpreter  told  them  of  what  we 
had  done  in  Chosschia,  and  before  9  o'clock  next  morning 
I  was  invited  to  see  my  first  patient,  who  was  lying 
dangerously  ill  in  a  house  close  by. 

He  was  a  man  of  about  thirty  years  of  age,  nearly  six  feet 
tall,  and  although  he  had  a  big  strong  frame,  he  was  reduced 
to  skin  and  bone.  I  found  he  had  been  suffering  from  fever 
for  twenty  days,  and,  having  recovered  from  that,  was  now 
suffering  from  another  complaint  which  was  the  result  of  fever. 
He  could  not  have  lived  many  days  longer  unless  he  got  relief 
in  some  way,  for  all  the  remedies  that  they  knew  of  had  failed. 
(11243)  193  '^ 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes, 


A  simple  operation  by  means  of  a  syringe  and  some  warm 
water  was  all  that  was  required,  and  to  the  amazement  of  the 
natives  the  man  immediately  began  to  recover.  I  prescribed 
egg  and  milk,  and  though  we  only  remained  here  three  days, 
my  patient  had  so  far  recovered  that  he  was  able  to  sit  up 
and  walk  about  a  little. 

The  report  of  what  I  was  able  to  do  for  a  poor  cottager 
was  not  long  in  finding  its  way  to  the  ears  of  the  Tussu.  At 
2  o'clock  he  sent  one  of  his  servants  to  invite  me  to  his 
palace,  which  is  the  high  building  near  the  tower  seen  in  the 
photograph. 

On  passing  a  large  courtyard  where  the  cattle  are  housed 
at  night  I  ascended  two  flights  of  stairs,  passed  two  tigers 
which  were  kept  in  a  cage  on  one  of  the  landings,  and  then 
on  through  a  long  corridor.  A  yellow  silk  curtain  was  lifted 
and  I  was  ushered  into  a  room  about  twenty  feet  square,  in 
which  was  a  table  and  two  chairs.  In  the  centre  of  the  room 
was  a  brazier,  and  therein  a  charcoal  fire  burned  and  the 
inevitable  teapot  boiled. 

On  a  wooden  bed,  curtained  with  yellow  satin,  reclined  a 
miserable  looking  creature,  whom  they  introduced  to  me  as 
the  Prince  or  ruler  of  the  State.  His  feet  were  at  right  angles 
to  his  body,  and  could  not  be  straightened  out.  The  pain 
was  so  excruciating  that  he  had  taken  to  the  pernicious  habit 
of  opium-smoking  in  order  to  get  rehef.  His  hair  was  in  a 
knotted  mat,  his  face  distorted  to  such  an  extent  that  he 
looked  more  like  a  beggar  than  a  prince,  though  his 
surroundings  were  otherwise. 

On  examination  I  found  that  he  was  suffering  from  in- 
flammatory rheumatism,  and  that  he  had  been  ill  for  about 
two  months.  I  had  with  me  none  of  the  medicines  that  are 
usually  prescribed  for  this  trouble  ;  but  as  became  a  quack 
who  had  at  last  achieved  a  royal  patient,  I  felt  I  must  do 
something  ;   so  going  back  for  my  medicine  case,  and  hunting 

194 


In  the   Land  of  the  Cattle  Thieves. 


it  through,  I  uttered  this  prescription  :— To  start  with,  a 
good  dose  of  salts  ;  lo  grains  of  quinine  morning  and  even- 
ing ;  massage  for  the  legs  for  six  hours  a  day  (if  the  patient 
could  stand  it),  and  this  last  I  illustrated  by  taking  my  turn 
at  the  work  for  the  first  half-hour.  Wc  had  brought  methy- 
lated spirits  for  preserving  such  insects  and  reptiles  as  we 
might  secure  on  our  way,  and  this  was  freely  used  in  the  pro- 
cess of  massaging,  with  vaseline  later,  to  keep  the  skin  from 
being  too  much  irritated.  At  9  p.m.  I  went  up  to  the  castle 
again,  painted  the  knees  with  iodine,  and,  wrapping  the 
legs  in  flannel,  told'  the  royal  patient  that  he  must  go 
to  sleep. 

Next  morning,  shortly  after  9  o'clock,  I  was  called  to  the 
palace,  as  the  Prince  wanted  me.  I  followed  my  guide  into 
his  presence.  On  entering  I  noticed  a  heavy  cane  near  the 
Chief's  bed  and  rather  wondered  whether  it  would  be  used 
on  me  ;  but  I  had  not  to  wait  long  to  see  what  it  was  for. 
Almost  immediately  the  Chief  seized  the  cane,  threw  off  the 
covering  and  swung  out  of  bed,  and,  in  a  manner  hard  to 
describe,  hobbled  across  the  room  and  back  to  his  bed  again. 
This  was  the  first  time  he  had  been  able  to  put  his  feet  to 
the  floor  for  nearly  three  months,  and  I  have  never  seen  a 
child  more  dehghted  with  a  new  toy  than  this  Tussu  was 
over  being  able  to  use  his  legs. 

I  forbade  his  attempting  to  do  this  for  a  few  days,  and 
unbandaging  his  limbs  gave  them  another  good  massage, 
and  repeated  yesterday's  prescription,  then  left  his  people 
to  continue  the  rubbing.  On  pulling  the  legs  lightly  to  try 
to  straighten  them  I  found  that  they  already  relaxed  to  an 
angle  of  about  20  degrees. 

The  Prince's  wife  and  daughter  now  came  into  the  room 
and  prostrated  themselves  on  the  floor  to  thank  me  for  what 
I  had  done.  Indeed,  the  cure  was  more  rapid  than  even  I 
had  dreamed  it  could  be,  and  to  them  it  seemed  a  miracle. 

197 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

I  returned  to  our  abode,  and  awaiting  the  ula  which  had 
to  be  brought  from  the  mountain  (a  day's  journey  away), 
we  were  not  idle,  for  the  people  kept  flocking  about  all  day. 
Already  word  had  reached  some  of  the  country  people  ten  miles 
away,  and  in  they  came  to  see  the  magician  thus  suddenly 
alighted  in  their  midst.  Patrons  of  all  descriptions  and  all 
ages  flocked  about,  and  I  was  kept  busy  from  morning  to 
night.  All  fear  of  the  foreigner  seemed  suddenly  to  have 
vanished,  and  they  were  as  free  in  making  known  their  com- 
plaints as  if  I  had  lived  in  their  midst  all  my  life.  That  night 
the  Tussu  sent  down  one  of  his  retainers  to  know  if  I  cared 
to  choose  a  wife  from  the  fair  daughters  of  Gaishechia,  saying 
I  was  invited  to  come  up  to  the  palace  to  choose  one  from 
the  scores  of  eager  faces  which,  from  our  humble  position 
on  the  roof  of  our  lodgings,  I  could  see  peering  over  the 
parapet  of  the  castle.  Needless  to  say  I  thanked  the  Chief 
for  his  kindness  and  thoughtfulness,  but  informed  him  I  had 
a  wife  at  Chentu.  "  Oh  !  "  said  the  emissary,  "  but  a  Chinese 
woman  is  not  like  our  women,  they  stay  in  the  house  and 
have  small  feet,  so  that  they  cannot  walk.  One  of  our  women 
would  go  with  you,  carry  your  load,  cook  your  food  and  do 
all  kinds  of  work."  Again  assuring  him  that  this  was  not 
necessary,  I  gratefully  dismissed  him. 

When  we  arose  next  morning  we  found  the  ula  had  at  last 
arrived,  and,  while  the  yakmen  were  packing  the  things  on 
the  yak,  Brooke  and  I  went  up  to  say  good-bye  and  see 
how  the  patient  was  progressing.  As  soon  as  we  entered  the 
room  he  sprang  out  of  bed,  and,  with  the  aid  of  his  stick, 
walked  around  the  room  almost  in  an  upright  position. 

We  were  almost  as  delighted  as  he  was  at  this  sudden  re- 
covery. The  Prince  called  for  paper  and  ink,  and  wrote  down 
the  foreign  names  of  the  remedies  used,  using  the  Tibetan 
character,  and  then  wrote  down  my  name  and  address  at 
Chentu. 

198 


In  the   Land  of  the  Cattle  Thieves. 

We  got  a  photograph  of  the  huge  mastiff  kept  to  guard  the 
palace,  and  then  said  good-bye. 


THK    (lUARD   ON    THE    ROOF — TIUETAN    MASTIFF. 


Three  months  later  tlie  Prince  sent  some  of  his  people  all 
theway  to  Chentu,  twenty  days' journey,  with  presents  to  me, 

199 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

and  a  message  that  he  had  quite  recovered,  and  that  I  was 
welcome  to  his  State  whenever  I  chose  again  to  visit  him. 

When  all  was  packed  we  set  out  to  visit  the  famous  robber 
district  of  Yukoh.  The  only  name  that  is  written  on  our 
maps  to  convey  any  idea  of  what  that  stretch  of  country  is 
like  is  the  word  "  Goluk  "  or  "  Robbers,"  while  on  many  maps 
it  is  left  entirely  blank.  The  inhabitants  are  known  to  the 
Chinese  as  "  the  great  cattle  thieves,"  and  many  of  the  neigh- 
bouring tribes  fear  these  pillagers.  The  Prince  of  Yukoh 
is  married  to  a  sister  of  the  Prince  of  Chosschia,  and  the  Yukoh 
prince's  brother  is  married  to  the  sister  of  the  Prince  of 
Gaishechia,  and  by  means  of  these  marriage  ties  they  try 
to  hve  at  peace  with  each  other  ;  but  despite  this  bond  of 
marriage  the  herdsmen  of  the  different  States  often  have 
feuds  with  each  other  about  the  boundary  line  of  their  pasture 
lands,  and  sometimes  take  possession  of  each  other's  herds, 
if  they  happen  to  stray  over  the  boundary.  A  feud  of  this 
kind  took  place  between  the  herdsmen  of  Yukoh  and  Choss- 
chia on  the  northern  border,  a  few  days  after  we  passed  through. 

On  our  way  to  Yukoh  we  followed  the  left  hand  stream 
shown  in  the  photograph,  and  after  four  hours'  travelling 
through  wooded  land,  which  we  entered  about  a  mile  from  the 
capital  of  Gaishechia,  we  came  out  on  grass  land  again,  and 
four  hours  more  brought  us  to  a  small  temple  and  a  few  tents. 

The  priest  was  quite  differently  dressed  from  any  I  had 
ever  seen,  having  long  hair,  like  a  Taoist,  done  up  on  the  top 
of  his  head.  He  had  a  wife  who  lived  in  a  tent  close  by. 
Their  images  were  very  similar  to  those  usually  found  in 
Buddhist  temples,  but  it  was  reported  that  their  books  differ. 

This  was  the  only  priest  of  this  order  I  had  met  with  in  all 
the  journey,  and  I  am  not  prepared  to  say  just  what  branch 
of  the  faith  he  represented.  He  was  not  a  Bon,  at  least  not 
as  we  find  Bons  in  the  Tachin  valley,  in  Bati  and  Bawang 
States,  where  they  have  adhered  to  the  primitive   form  of 


In  the   Land  of  the  Cattle  Thieves. 


Bon  Nature  Worship.  I  was  told  that  this  was  a  sect  found 
only  among  the  herdsmen,  and  now  almost  extinct,  being 
superseded  by  the  Red  and  Yellow  sect. 

In  the  porch  of  this  little  temple  we  spent  the  night,  camp- 
ing early,  as  it  had  rained  hard  all  the  afternoon.  About 
5  o'clock  a  Lama,  the  brother  of  the  Gaishechia  chief,  over- 
took us,  riding  a  big  white  horse.  He  had  five  companions 
all  armed  to  the  teeth.  They  had  been  sent  by  the  Prince 
to  escort  us,  and  hand  us  safely  over  to  the  brother  of  the 
Yakoh  Tussu,  who  was  camped  some  ten  miles  further  up 
the  valley.  We  were  now  camped  at  the  boundary  line  of 
the  two  States,  Gaishechia  and  Yukoh. 

This  escort  had  good  horses  and  rode  on  to  the  camps  that 
night,  while  we  decided  to  pass  the  night  where  we  were  and 
go  up  next  morning. 

It  was  10  o'clock  when  we  sighted  the  camp  and  the  herds 
grazing  on  the  slopes.  By  ii  o'clock  we  drew  up  in  front  of 
fifty-six  black  tents  all  pitched  on  a  level  flat  between  two 
streams,  which  here  could  be  easily  forded.  Our  Gaishechia 
Lama  was  accompanied  by  two  of  the  Yukoh  Prince's  brothers, 
one  a  Lama,  the  other  married  to  the  sister  of  the  Gaishechia 
Chief. 

Their  servants  brought  Tibetan  rugs  along,  which  were 
spread  on  the  ground,  and  we  were  asked  to  be  seated. 

We  found  that  our  escort  had  arrived  late  the  evening 
before,  and  had  been  attacked  by  the  great  ferocious  dogs  kept 
to  guard  these  tents.  One  of  the  escort  had  been  badly  torn 
by  one  of  these  dogs,  and  I  made  shift  to  dress  twenty-eight 
nasty  wounds,  some  of  them  on  his  face,  others  on  his  arms, 
hands  and  legs.  This  occupied  nearly  two  hours.  Next  the 
Chief's  son,  a  lad  of  fifteen,  was  brought  with  a  bad  foot,  and 
when  he  was  attended  to  we  were  urged  to  pitch  our  tents 
and  spend  the  rest  of  the  day  with  our  friends. 

The  whole  encampment  gathered  about  and  lent  a  hand. 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

and  in  a  very  short  time  all  our  ula  was  unpacked,  our  tent 
erected,  and  we  were  led  off  to  visit  the  Chief  in  his  tent. 
There  was  nothing  to  distinguish  this  from  any  of  the  others, 
only  it  was  pitched  almost  in  the  centre  of  the  encampment. 
Inside  it  had  more  comfort  in  the  way  of  rugs  and  cooking 
utensils  ;  but  they  all  ate  the  same  kind  of  food  and  hved 
practically  in  the  same  way. 


KlNCIi  S    BROTHER — YAK    IN    l-'OREGKOUND. 


In  the  evening  quite  5,000  head  of  yak,  sheep  and  horses 
were  driven  in.  There  was  no  enclosure,  but  the  yak  were 
tethered  to  long  hues  made  of  yak  hair  and  pinned  to  the 
ground.  The  sheep  gathered  toward  the  centre  of  the  en- 
campment, and  at  dark  the  dogs  were  let  loose.  They  scam- 
pered round  the  outside  of  the  camps,  kept  the  herds  to- 
gether, and  kept  off  wild  animals  from  the  flock.     All  night 


In  the   Land  of  the  Cattle  Thieves. 


long  the  deep  baying  of  these  ferocious  brutes  resounded  in 
the  still  night  air,  and  warned  the  stranger  that  the  safest 
place  was  inside  his  tent.  On  several  occasions  a  pack  of 
dogs  came  so  close  to  our  tent  that  we  thought  they  were 
going  to  attack  it,  but  they  scampered  off  again  without 
harming  us. 

Next  morning  we  set  out  for  the  capital,  which  we  found 
to  be  quite  thirty  miles  further  on.  We  tramped  up  to  the 
watershed,  between  the  head-waters  of  the  Kwanyin,  and  the 
stream  that  flows  past  Gaishechia,  and  empties  into  the 
Tachin  near  Romi  Chanku.  The  pass  of  Gerhubdumdoh 
we  found  to  be  somewhat  higher  than  the  other  we  had  come 
over,  and  we  got  into  a  heavy  snowstorm  near  the  top. 

After  crossing  the  pass  we  found  large  herds  on  the  other 
side  belonging  to  the  inhabitants.  These  herdsmen  seem  to 
group  together  in  parties  of  from  ten  to  fifty  famihes,  each 
with  their  own  tent  made  of  black  yak  hair.  When  the  yak 
are  brought  in  at  night  the  animals  are  thrown  and  their 
feet  tied  by  a  rope.  Then  a  number  of  people  gather  round 
and  pluck  the  hair  out  in  great  handfuls,  continuing  until 
all  the  long  hair  is  plucked  out.  The  poor  creature  groans 
at  every  tug  that  is  given,  and  it  is  no  hght  pull  that  extracts 
a  handful  of  hair  from  these  yak.  At  5  o'clock,  in  a  pouring 
rain,  we  reached  the  capital  of  Yukoh  State,  and  were  almost 
carried  away  while  crossing  the  stream  that  flows  past  the 
monastery. 

At  first  we  tried  to  secure  lodgings  in  the  monastery  itself 
but  did  not  succeed,  so  pitched  our  tents  in  the  pouring  rain, 
and  made  our  beds  on  the  wet  grass.  With  great  difficulty 
we  secured  some  wood  and  cooked  some  food.  We  had  not 
eaten  anything  since  morning  and  had  had  a  long  march. 
A  Lama,  the  Tussu's  brother,  had  gone  up  another  ravine 
to  bring  word  of  our  arrival  to  the  Tussu,  who  was  also  out 
in  a  tent  with  his  herds,  so  that  we  had  no  one  to  herald  our 

203 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

arrival,  and  had  to  wait  till  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  next 
day  before  he  arrived  with  ula  to  take  us  on. 

This  Lama  was  a   very  sullen-lonking  priest,   and  if  it  had 


RSE-MAID    AND   BABY. 


not  been  for  the  Gaishechia  Tussu  sending  his  brother  along  we 
should  not  have  fared  so  well  as  we  did.  We  could  do  but  httle 
here,  though  we  met  people  from  other  States  who  were  friendly. 

204 


In  the   Land  of  the  Cattle  Thieves. 


The  next  morning  we  set  out  on  a  30-mile  march  to  Dawo, 
and  pressed  on  over  the  same  rolhng  grass  land.  Some  two 
miles  from  the  capital  of  Yiikoh  we  passed  a  hot  spring  where 
there  was  mixed  bathing.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  stream 
we  saw  a  band  of  the  famous  cattle  raiders,  returning  with 
their  plunder  of  about  200  head  of  yak,  which  they  were 
forcing  on  at  the  point  of  their  long  lances.  These  would 
be  taken  to  the  Tussu's  tent,  and,  after  he  had  taken  his  share 
of  the  booty,  the  raiders  would  be  pardoned  and  the  remainder 
of  the  plunder  would  be  theirs. 

It  is  hard  to  imagine  a  more  fiendish-looking  lot  of  men  than 
these  nomads  of  the  grassy  slopes.  According  to  the  maps 
this  country  is  all  within  the  Szechuan  province,  but  the 
Chinese  official  has  to  ask  leave  if  he  wishes  to  travel  in  these 
highlands,  and  the  inhabitants  would  think  as  little  of  plunder- 
ing him  as  they  would  the  ordinary  merchant.  One  might 
undertake  a  journey  in  the  hope  of  trade. 

We  were  benighted  and  had  to  camp  on  the  plain,  and 
the  next  morning  about  8  o'clock  reached  Dawo,  a  large 
monastery  on  the  great  north  road  to  Tibet. 


205 


CHAPTER    XV. 

The  Traffic  of  the  Great  North  Road. 

On  arriving  at  Dawo  we  found  a  large  monastery  which 
contained  about  3,000  Lamas,  and  close  by  was  a  small  village 
of  about  fifty  families.  We  got  rooms  in  a  large  new  gochuang, 
belonging  to  the  people  of  Mantze  State.  A  gochuang  is  a 
house  built  by  a  tribe  for  the  accommodation  of  their  people, 
while  passing  through  on  business. 

In  large  centres  like  Tacheinlu,  each  tribe  has  its  own 
guest-house.  This  one  we  found  to  be  very  roomy  and,  as 
it  had  just  been  reconstructed,  it  was  quite  clean.  Upon 
examination  we  discovered  that  most  of  the  houses  were  new 
and  several  others  in  the  course  of  construction.  When  we 
inquired  why  these  houses  were  being  rebuilt,  we  were  told 
that  some  three  years  previously  a  great  earthquake  had 
destroyed  nearly  all  the  buildings,  and  killed  most  of  the 
inhabitants.  The  monastery,  which  is  about  half-a-mile 
away,  had  also  been  shaken,  and  some  of  the  cloisters  in 
connection  with  it  fell,  yet  the  temples  and  many  of  the 
cells  were  unharmed. 

These  monasteries  along  the  main  road  are  also  great 
warehouses  or  tea  stations;  much  of  the  tea  shipped  into 
Tibet  travels  over  this  road,  and  is  conveyed  from  stage  to 
stage  by  local  animals.  A  great  part  of  this  work  is  done 
gratis,  while  on  some  occasions  a  small  fee  is  paid  by  the 
monastery  for  carrying  the  tea  from  one  post  to  another. 
I  saw  hundreds  of  yak  loads  deposited  at  Dawo  while  I  was 
there. 

2C6 


BLACK    RIVER    BLACKSMITH    AM)    HIS   WIFE. 


The  Traffic  of  the  Great  North   Road. 


We  thought  of  passing  down  through  Chantwei,  a  track 
of  country  that  is  bounded  by  the  Horba  States  on  the  north, 
by  Dergi  on  the  west,  by  Chala  on  the  east  and  by  Litang  on 
the  south  ;  so  far  as  I  know,  Chantwei  has  never  been  visited 
by  any  European. 

We  found  a  Mohammedan  mihtary  official  here  whom 
I  had  met  some  years  before.  He  called  and  was  most 
friendly.  We  made  very  cautious  inquiries  about  the 
condition  of  the  country  to  the  west,  and  found  it  was 
governed  from  Lhasa,  the  official  being  changed  every  three 
years.  About  nfteen  years  ago  these  people  rebelled  against 
the  Chinese,  who  asked  the  Tibetan  troops  from  Batang  to 
help  them  to  put  down  the  rebellion.  It  ended  in  the  Chinese 
handing  the  government  of  the  country  over  to  Lhasa,  as 
the  inhabitants  were  all  Tibetans,  on  condition  that  there 
should  be  no  raiding  along  the  big  roads.  An  official  was 
appointed  from  the  Holy  City  with  the  title  known  to  the 
Chinese  as  Tsangwang,  or  Tibetan  king,  but  his  term  of  office 
is  only  for  three  years,  so  that  he  is  not  a  king  actually,  though 
the  Chinese  call  him  by  that  name. 

The  new  representative  from  Lhasa  had  just  taken  over 
office  ;  from  the  reports  we  got  he  seemed  to  be  quite  an 
obstinate  man,  who  intended  to  compel  the  Chinese  to  hand 
back  the  country  taken  by  the  Chinese  troops  when  the 
Litang  monastery  was  sacked  about  seven  years  ago. 

It  would  be  interesting  to  know  just  how  many  troops 
inhabit  the  country  of  Chantwei.  Report  has  it  that  there 
are  80,000  men  capable  of  bearing  arms,  but  this  must  be 
greatly  exaggerated,  though  it  was  given  to  me  as  the  result 
of  the  census  recently  taken. 

By  6  o'clock  a.m.  our  ula   to   convey  us  to  Tachienlu  had 

arrived  ;    but  late  the  previous  evening  Mr.  Ma  had  agreed 

to  send  his  interpreter  with  me  over  to  the  Tussu  to  see  if 

it   were   possible   to  get   through  Chantwei.     We   postponed 

(1 1243)  209  p 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

our  journe5^  Mr.  Ma  promised  to  send  up  the  interpreter 
for  me,  so  I  waited  till  9  o'clock,  but  he  did  not  appear, 
and  I  went  over  to  see  what  had  happened.  I  was  told  that 
early  in  the  morning  the  interpreter  had  gone  across  the 
river  to  arrange  an  audience  and  had  not  returned.  I  was 
none  too  pleased  with  Mr.  Ma,  and  told  him  I  knew  what 
the  answer  would  be,  but  he  assured  me  it  would  be  all  right, 
and  that  the  interpreter  would  soon  be  back;  accordingly 
we  waited.  It  was  12  o'clock  when  they  sent  word  that  the 
Tussu  would  not  receive  mc,  so  I  went  over  to  Mr.  Ma,  and 
told  him  what  I  thought  of  his  plan  and  its  result.  He 
expressed  his  regret,  but  assured  me  he  had  done  his  best. 
Knowing  that  it  is  the  business  of  these  officials  to  stop 
travellers  from  entering  a  country  of  this  kind,  I  said,  "  If 
you  will  allow  me,  I  will  go  across  the  river  and  seek  an  inter- 
view with  the  Tussu  and  return  before  dark."  Whether  he 
thought  that  I  was  "  bluffing  "  and  that  I  would  not  dare 
to  cross  the  river  in  the  coracle,  I  don't  know,  but  he  replied, 
"  All  right,  you  may  go,  but  it  will  be  impossible  for  you  to 
get  an  audience."  He  wanted  to  send  his  interpreter  along, 
but  I  refused  his  aid,  seeing  that  we  had  a  man  of  our  own. 
So,  immediately  setting  out,  we  succeeded  in  crossing  the 
Ngachu,  which  was  divided  into  several  streams. 

The  valley  is  quite  wide  here  and  the  water  is  high, 
necessitating  three  portages  before  we  crossed  the  other  bank, 
and  it  took  us  a  full  hour  to  cross,  for  we  were  carried  far  down 
the  stream.  Consequently  it  was  almost  2  o'clock  when  we 
found  ourselves  outside  the  palace  gate. 

I  sent  in  the  interpreter  with  my  letter  from  the  Chosschia 
and  Gaishechia  Tussus. 

In  a  very  few  minutes  I  was  invited  to  enter  and  was  shown 
to  the  seat  of  honour. 

The  Tussu,  in  this  case  a  female,  entered.  She  was  a 
woman  of  about  forty.     One  of  the  retainers  poured  out  a  cup 

210 


The  Traffic  of  the  Great   North   Road. 


of  tea  and  handed  it  to  her,  which  she  passed  on  to  me  with 
a  very  pohte  courtesy.  She  then  sat  down  and  talked  for  a 
little  on  local  affairs.  I  found  she  understood  Chinese  very 
well,  though  Tibetan  was  the  language  spoken  by  the  people. 
Presenting  her  with  a  Waterbury  watch,  which  she  accepted, 
I  then  very  soon  made  known  the  object  of  my  visit,  first 
stating  that  the  Princes  of  Chosschia,  Gaishechia  and  Yukoh 
had  given  me  ula  and  a  letter  or  passport,  which  I  submitted 
to  her  and  stated  that  I  would  like  ula  now  to  pass  through 
Chantwei.  At  first  she  tried  to  put  me  off,  saying  that  if  the 
Tussu  of  Kongser,  who  lived  on  the  other  side  of  the  river, 
would  give  me  a  letter  and  ula,  she  would  do  the  same.  My 
reply  to  this  suggestion  was  that  it  was  very  difficult  and 
dangerous  work  crossing  the  river,  but  that  if  she  would  just 
write  her  letter  and  give  it  to  the  interpreter,  who  was  a 
relative,  he  would  carry  it  and,  should  the  Tussu  of  the 
Kongser  refuse,  I  would  send  him  back  with  her  letter.  So 
she  wrote  the  order  for  ula  and  also  a  letter  to  the  Chief  or 
Lhasa  representative  of  Chantwei.  We  left,  thanking  her, 
and  feeling  that  part  of  the  task  was  accomplished. 

On  recrossing  the  river,  we  went  direct  to  the  Kongser 
Tussu,  and  found  him  a  most  sullen,  insignificant  man. 
Presenting  my  credentials,  I  at  once  stated  my  business. 
His  reply  was,  "  If  you  can  get  a  letter  and  ula  from  the  Tussu 
of  Mantze  I  will  give  you  one."  My  reply  was,  "  I  have 
that,"  and  presented  her  order.  He  studied  it  for  a  few 
minutes,  then  called  for  pen  and  paper,  and  wrote  the  order 
for  ula  and  a  permit  to  pass  through  his  territory. 

Now  that  the  difficulty  of  gaining  admission  was  overcome, 
I  returned  to  the  gochuang  with  something  of  the  feeling  of 
victory  in  my  breast. 

Mr.  Ma  was  quite  surprised  at  my  success,  and  so  was  Mr. 
Brooke,  as  he  felt  that  the  Chinese  official  had  done  us  at 
last. 

(II243)  2.1  P2 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

Now  that  we  had  got  permission  to  go,  and  the  ula  was  in, 
we  began  to  query  if  it  were  really  right  to  go  on.  We  had 
no  Scripture  left  either  in  Tibetan  or  Chinese,  neither  had  we 
any  mapping  paper,  and  it  seemed  a  useless  tramp  to  go 
through  a  country  like  this,  able  to  do  nothing. 

I  was  due  at  Chentu  by  a  fixed  date,  and  if  we  took  this 
journey  it  would  probably  lead  us  through  Derge,  which 
would  mean  a  two  months'  journey  and  perhaps  more  ;  we 
decided  that  it  was  best  to  go  south  to  Tachienlu,  and  attempt 
this  journey  at  soms  future  date.  Thus  halting  between 
two  opinions  we  had  our  ula  again  changed  for  Tachienlu, 
and  started  south  the  next  morning.  We  were  then  on  the 
northern  road  between  Tachienlu  and  Lhasa,  over  which 
others  had  travelled,  and  which  has  been  described  by  more 
than  one.  I  need  not  detain  my  readers  in  this  section  of  the 
country  with  more  than  a  few  glimpses  by  the  way,  that  the 
blank  may  not  be  too  great  between  Dawo  and  Tachienlu. 

From  Dawo  to  Tachienlu  is  about  510  li  (or  135  miles). 
It  is  called  seven  stages  for  a  horseman,  but  we  did  it  with  ula 
in  that  time,  including  waiting  for  relays,  though  that  was  not 
considerable  on  this  road. 

About  two  miles  south  of  Dawo  the  Nga  River  turns  west 
and  disappears  in  the  mountains.  All  along  its  banks  a  foot- 
path is  reported  to  exist,  but  in  some  places  it  is  almost 
impassable  and  really  dangerous.  We  followed  up  a  small 
stream  that  flows  into  the  Ngachu,  near  the  point  where  it 
disappears  into  the  gorges  of  Chant wei.  The  road  was  50  to 
100  feet  wide  most  of  the  way,  and  we  met  large  caravans 
of  yak  laden  with  tea,  one  day  500,  another  day  200,  besides 
passing  large  herds  grazing  on  the  grassy  plain. 

The  tea  was  piled  in  great  heaps  in  front  of  the  hght  tents. 
These  tents  are  made  of  ordinary  grey  shirting  which  people 
take  on  the  road  because  of  the  convenience  in  transit. 

We  soon  passed  over  into  Chiala  State,  for  Dawo  is  located 


The  Traffic  of  the  Great  North  Road. 


just  at  the  corners  of  Matze,  Kongser  and  Chiala  States. 
Three  days  through  almost  uninhabited  grass  land  brought 
us  to  Tailing,  where  a  fierce  battle  was  fought  between  the 
Tibetans  and  the  Chinese  troops  in  1903,  when  the  Tibetan 
monastery  was  destroyed  by  the  Chinese  troops.  Tailing 
has  long  been  a  military  post  and  there  is  quite  a  long  street 
composed  of  one-storey,  fiat-roofed,  wooden  houses,  most  of 
which  are  new,  as  the  former  buildings  were  destroyed  by  the 


ENCAMPED    FOK    DINNKK— AUTHOR    ON    LEFT,    MK.    BROOKE   ON    KKJHl, 


Tibetans.  The  Chinese  have  made  the  Tibetans  build  the 
present  new  ones  as  punishment  for  the  outbreak.  WTien 
the  Chinese  troops  re-took  the  place  from  the  Tibetans,  they 
sacked  and  destroyed  the  large  monastery,  carrying  away 
many  valuable  copper  and  bionze  utensils;  in  fact  every- 
thing that  the  Lamas  left  behind,  when  they  lied  before  the 
troops.  This  loot  was  taken  to  Tachienlu  and  sold,  and  was 
readily  bought  up  by  the  Mohammedans  and  Chinese  traders, 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


who  carried  on  quite  a  business.  Most  of  the  soldiers  had  no 
idea  of  the  value  of  most  of  the  articles  they  had  secured, 
and  if  they  had,  it  was  imperative  for  them  to  dispose  of  the 
stuff  for  what  they  could  get,  as  they  could  not  carr}?'  it  with 
them  on  the  march. 

When  we  passed  through,  the  temple  was  almost  restored, 
the  workmen  were  busy  painting  it  in  most  brilhant  colours  ; 
when  completed  it  would  look  very  grand  indeed.  The 
Lamas  were  very  friendly  and  showed  us  all  over  the  place. 
Before  the  late  war  they  would  have  refused  to  admit  foreigners 
within  this  Holy  enclosure. 

The  cause  of  the  trouble  was  that  the  Chinese  were  coming 
in  large  parties  to  dig  and  wash  for  gold. 

Near  TaiHng  we  met  500  yak  in  one  caravan,  laden  with 
tea,  going  westward. 

I  kept  count  of  the  animals  that  passed  up  during  the  two 
days  we  spent  at  Dawo,  and  also  on  the  way  down,  and 
allowing  three  days  for  our  journey  from  Dawo  to  Tailing, 
the  average  number  of  loads  that  passed  up  was  200  per  day. 
Each  load  averaged  120  catties,  which  would  amount  to  24,000 
catties  per  day,  allowing  sixty  days  in  July  and  August,  when 
there  are  very  few  loads  shipped  from  Tachienlu  on  account 
of  the  heat,  which  neither  the  yak  nor  the  inhabitants  of  the 
higher  plateaus  can  endure.  If  we  accept  the  statement  that 
24,000  catties  of  tea  are  carried  up  this  road  by  yak  and  mules 
for  consumption  in  Tibet,  for  300  days  in  the  year,  we  find 
that  7,200,000  catties  of  tea  are  carried  over  this  great  north 
road.  If  we  look  at  Sir  Alexander  Hosie's  carefully  worked-out 
report,  founded  on  the  statistics  he  was  able  to  obtain  at 
Tachienlu,  we  find  that  he  estimated  the  tea  passing  through 
Tachienlu  every  year  at  8,533,000  catties,  and  the  value  to 
amount  to  948,591  taels.  My  rough  estimate  of  what  passed 
over  the  Great  North  road,  viz.,  7,200,000  catties,  would  leave 
1,333.000  catties  to  be  conveyed  over  the  western  route  to 

214 


CHINESE   TEA-COOLIK    CA 


RKYING    370    rOl'NDS   OF   TEA. 


The  Traffic  of  the  Great   North   Road. 


Litang  and  Batang  and  other  local  routes.  This  would  allow 
for  about  six  times  as  much  of  the  tea  for  Tibet  to  be  carried 
over  the  Great  North  road,  and  find  its  way  to  the  heart  of 
that  great  country. 

On  a  very  fair  basis,  Sir  Alexander  Hosie  has  been  able 
to  compute  the  quantity  of  tea  passing  through  Tachienlu, 


HOT-SPRING    NEAR    YUKOH — ^AND    MIXED    KATHING. 


and  I  believe  he  is  well  on  the  safe  side,  as  no  doubt  some 
tea  finds  its  way  through  which  is  not  registered  on  the  official 
books ;  and  we  may  add  to  this  amount  the  tea  that  finds  its 
way  into  Tibet  through  Songpan,  Mongun  and  Tsakalao, 
which  is  not  less  than  one-quarter  of  that  passing  through 
Tachienlu,  or  say  2,133,250  catties.     Almost  as  much  more 

217 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

finds  its  wav  through  India  and  Russia.  I  know  that  along 
the  Kansu  border  and  Kokonor  district  the  Hankow  brick 
tea  is  almost  universally  used,  so  that  the  total  amount  of 
tea  finding  its  way  into  Tibet  by  other  routes  may  be  safely 
estimated  as  being  equal  to  the  quantity  entering  from 
Szechwan,  that  is,  from  Tachienlu,  8,533,000  catties  ;  and 
from  Kwanhsien,  2,133,250  catties  ;  would  give  a  total  amount 
from  Szechwan  of  10,666,250  catties.  Allowing  that  much 
more  finds  its  way  into  the  countrv'  from  India,  Russia, 
Yunnan  and  Kansu,  10,666,250  catties  ;  we  may  estimate 
the  total  quantity  of  tea  annually  consumed  in  Tibet  from 
all  sources  to  be  not  less  than  21,332,500  catties. 

If  we  next  allow  three  catties  of  tea  per  person,  we  arrive 
at  a  population  of  7,111,166  souls.  Now  this  is  a  very  poor 
way  of  getting  an  estimate  of  the  population  ;  but  I  beheve 
that  research  will  prove  that  that  quantity  of  tea  finds  its 
way  annually  into  the  country.  And  while  the  Tibetans 
are  great  tea  drinkers,  yet  they  boil  their  tea  until  every 
particle  of  tannin  is  extracted,  and  they  also  use  a  family  pot, 
so  that  a  pound  of  tea  will  go  a  long  way  with  them  ;  and 
when  we  take  men,  women  and  children  into  account,  and 
also  that  it  is  a  cold  country,  I  beheve  that  three  catties 
each  is  not  too  small  an  estimate  of  the  consumption  per 
head. 

When  we  passed  through  Tailing,  it  was  reported  to  us 
that  there  were  350  Chinese  engaged  in  the  goldfields,  along 
the  valleys  and  streams,  which  are  very  numerous  here.  The 
whole  country  is  hopelessly  broken  up,  and  streams  run  in 
every  direction  of  the  compass.  Groups  of  gold  diggers, 
varying  from  10  to  as  many  as  100  men,  were  to  be  seen,  all 
busilv  digging  up  the  sand  and  gravel  near  the  water's  edge 
and  washing  it. 

The  great  snow  mountains  towered  up  in  the  south-east. 
The  most  northerly  peak  is  Tapaoshan  (Great  Peak  Mountain), 

218 


The  Traffic  of  the  Great   North   Road. 


also  called  Dabashan,  which  is  the  name  given  to  cattle  thieves. 
The  Yukoh  raiders  sometimes  come  as  far  south  as  this  and 
surprise  parties  crossing  to  the  Tachin  Valley.  There  is  also 
a  road  from  here  to  Romi  Changku,  a  Chinese  military  post, 
at  the  junction  of  the  Tachin  and  Siaochin  Rivers.  Tapao- 
shan  towers  up  25,000  feet,  and  is  quite  conical  in  shape  at 
the  peak.  A  little  south  of  it,  in  the  same  range,  is  Haitze- 
shan,  so  called  because  of  numerous  small  lakes  found  about 
its  base. 

At  4.30  next  morning  we  struck  camp,  and  followed  the 
stream  down  twenty  li  and  came  to  Fame,  on  the  big  road, 
where  we  had  breakfast  and  changed  our  ula.  One  of  the 
men  had  come  on  here  the  night  before,  so  the  ula  was  all 
ready  for  us. 

The  people  were  most  friendly,  and  set  tea,  butter,  curds 
and  tsamba  on  small  tables  about  fourteen  inches  high,  while 
we  sat  on  benches  of  about  the  same  height.  Chinese  customs 
were  to  some  extent  making  themselves  felt.  As  soon  as 
the  thunder-storm,  which  came  on  with  terrific  force,  had 
subsided,  we  set  out  for  Barchonku,  which  we  found  to  be 
11,567  feet  high,  and  here  we  again  changed  ula.  There  was 
a  little  cultivation  about,  especially  in  the  valley  just  below 
the  house  of  the  Fupei  Fu,  but  most  of  the  country  was  grass- 
land, and  it  was  very  cold  at  night. 

On  the  way  up  I  heard  of  a  strange  kind  of  cat,  of  which  they 
gave  the  most  wild  description,  calling  it  the  lion-cat.  I  got 
one  of  the  escort  to  go  back  with  me  to  see  this  strange  animal, 
and  after  riding  five  miles  we  found  that  the  reported  lion-cat 
was  nothing  more  than  an  ordinary  house  cat.  Its  hair  was 
long  and  fuzzy-looking  on  account  of  the  cold  chmate. 

On  the  way  back  we  had  one  of  the  most  severe  thunder- 
storms I  have  ever  been  out  in,  but  it  is  wonderful  how  quickly 
the  weather  changes  in  this  part  of  the  world.  One  minute 
you  bask   in   brilliant   sunshine,   the    next    are    pelted    with 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


rain  and  hail,  and  so  severely  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
live  in  it.  Six  miles  farther  on  there  were  about  fifty  gold 
diggers  at  work  in  the  bed  of  the  stream.  Each  gang  was  com- 
posed of  fourteen  men,  which  was  subdivided  into  two  parties 
of  seven.  Each  party  dug  a  hole  along  the  river's  bank. 
Before  digging  far,  they  get  below  the  water  in  the  stream, 
the  pit  keeps  filling  up,  and  the  miners  bale  it  out  with  a  hand 
ladle.  In  one  place  they  were  working  a  bamboo  pump, 
and  three  men  were  working  a  small  rod,  with  a  sucker  on  the 
other  end,  but  they  only  succeeded  in  pumping  out  a  stream 
of  water  about  half-an-inch  in  diameter.  It  was  more  like 
milking  a  cow  than  draining  a  mine,  only  the  quantity  of 
water  did  not  in  any  way  seem  to  be  reduced.  Three  men 
worked  the  rod,  while  four  stood  by  and  smoked  or  looked  on. 
They  changed  places  frequently  though  there  were  no  signs 
of  perspiration  on  any  of  them.  This  was  reported  to  be 
a  good  pit,  if  they  could  only  get  it  drained.  When  enough 
fine  sand  is  collected  in  the  bottom  of  one  of  these  holes  it 
is  carried  in  buckets  to  the  stream,  ten  paces  away,  and 
washed  over  a  board  some  three  feet  long  by  eighteen  inches 
wide,  which  has  grooves  cut  in  it  to  catch  the  gold. 

The  stream  has  a  fall  of  about  two  feet  in  every  ten  feet  run, 
and  it  would  have  been  the  simplest  thing  in  the  world  to 
have  had  a  proper  trench  and  sluice-way  for  washing  the  sand ; 
but  John  Chinaman  likes  his  own  way  of  doing  tilings  and 
only  laughed  at  me  when  I  suggested  something  better. 

It  was  almost  dark  when  I  reached  Porchangku,  to  find 
the  party  all  comfortably  housed. 

The  country  was  similar  to  that  we  had  traversed  for  the 
past  two  weeks,  only  more  rolling,  with  high  peaks  imme- 
diately about. 

At  last  we  came  in  sight  of  Tachienlu,  and  received  a  hearty 
welcome  from  the  missionaries  located  there. 

The  China   Inland  Mission  have    had  a    station  here    for 


The  Traffic  of  the  Great  North   Road. 


nearly  fifteen  years,  and  the  Foreign  Christian  Mission  of 
America  have  been  at  work  for  about  six  years,  and  were 
then  just  moving  on  to  Batang,  another  eighteen  days' 
journey  further  west,  where  they  were  opening  a  new  work. 

We  were  well  looked  after  during  our  short  stay,  and  it 
was  indeed  pleasant  to  reach  a  Mission  Station  and  kind 
friends  after  our  wanderings. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

Up  the  Tung  River. 

After  our  long  journey  over  a  very  rough  country,  where  we 
had  to  hve  almost  entirely  on  the  local  produce  of  the  land, 
which  was  barley  meal  and  butter,  it  was  good  to  find  our- 
selves once  more  sitting  around  a  table  on  which  a  white  cloth 
was  spread.  Better  still,  the  table  was  amply  supplied  with 
such  luxuries  as  strawberries  and  cream,  home-made  bread 
and  butter,  and  many  of  the  other  dehcacies  that  may  be 
found  in  an  English  home,  and  this  although  we  were  on  the 
very  borders  of  Tibet.  But  wherever  the  Western  lady  goes 
she  soon  adapts  herself  to  local  conditions.  What  is  still 
more  important,  she  puts  her  wise  hands  on  the  local  produce, 
and  with  a  little  manipulation  transfers  it  into  delicacies  which 
are  far  more  appreciated  by  the  traveller  who  has  been 
roughing  it  than  a  preparation  of  the  same  kind  would  be 
under  much  more  favourable  conditions. 

And  here  is  a  reason  why  so  many  travellers  write  of  the 
missionary  as  living  in  luxury.  On  most  occasions,  when  he 
visits  one,  it  is  after  a  long  trying  journey  on  which  his  supplies 
have  run  short,  and  he  has  been  reduced  to  what  he  can  pick 
up  on  the  way — sometimes  very  meagre  fare  indeed.  He 
then  arrives  at  a  station,  and  the  missionary's  wife,  wishing 
to  be  kind,  brings  out  her  preserved  fruit  which  she  has  laid 
by  for  special  occasions,  and  in  fact  puts  herself  out  to  enter- 
tain the  stranger  and  make  him  feel  at  home  :  often  to  find 
herself  and  her  family  written  up  in  some  book  as  a  missionary 
household  which  lives  in  luxury,  with  nothing  to  do  but 
entertain  passing  strangers. 

224 


Up  the  TuniJ^  River. 


We  were  fortunate  enough  to  reach  Tachienlu  in  the  straw- 
berry season,  when  the  mountain  sides  were  covered  with 
beautiful,  wild,  red,  luscious  berries.  The  native  children 
go  out  in  parties  and  gather  these  berries,  and  sell  them  on 
the  street  for  less  than  a  penny  a  pound. 

The  cattle  that  graze  on  the  mountains  about  the  city 
were  driven  in  and  milked,  and  the  milk  can  be  bought  for 


IIEN-I.r     KI\ICK. 


about  a  penny  a  pint,  so  that  while  strawberries  were  a  great 
luxury  to  us,  they  had  been  the  common  dessert  of  missionary 
homes  for  some  weeks.  Even  China  and  some  parts  of  Tibet 
are  not  such  bad  places  to  live  in  during  some  parts  of  the 
year,  especially  when  people  know  how  to  adapt  themselves 
to  circumstances,  and  to  make  the  best  of  what  is  available. 

We  spent  one  and  a-half  days  in  Tachienlu,  which  is  a  small 
but  very  important  border  town.     To  this  city  hundreds  of 

(1 1243)  225  Q 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

Tibetans  come  daily,  some  from  the  very  heart  of  Tibet,  as 
well  as  from  all  parts  of  the  border  States,  and  here  is  the 
great  depository  of  the  Chinese  Tibetan  frontier.  Taking 
the  average  train  of  tea  coolies,  we  find  that  about  125  arrive 
daily  throughout  the  year,  each  coolie  carrying  a  burden 
of  about  200  catties  (or  366  lbs.).  During  the  busy  season 
there  are  as  many  as  400  coolies  arriving  per  day ;  in  the  slack 
season  very  few  are  seen  along  this  road.  But,  since  Tachienlu 
is  the  terminus  of  the  Chinese  coohe  line  of  transportation, 
it  is  also  the  point  from  where  the  yak  caravans  are  made  up. 

Commercially  Tachienlu  is  of  great  importance.  From  the 
heart  of  Tibet  hides,  wool,  deer's  horns,  musk  and  gold  dust 
all  find  their  way,  and  these  are  exchanged  on  the  street  of 
Tachienlu  for  tea,  cotton  goods  and  haberdashery  of  all 
kinds,  such  as  are  used  in  Tibet  for  bartering  purposes. 

The  stranger,  simply  passing  through  the  place,  m^ght 
dismiss  it  as  a  dirty  military  outpost.  The  streets  are  very 
narrow  and,  if  one  turns  out  early  in  the  morning,  they  will 
be  found  extremely  filthy,  especially  in  the  summer  months. 
The  shops  look  insignificant,  as  httle  can  be  seen  in  them 
but  copper  kettles,  pots  and  pans,  used  by  the  Tibetans  when 
travelling;  and  cloth,  needles  and  cotton  thread,  a  few  old 
swords  and  rehcs  from  monasteries  which  the  Chinese  troops 
have  looted,  complete  the  display. 

The  Lu  River  comes  rolling  through  the  centre  of  the 
town,  bisecting  it.  This  river  is  spanned  by  three  suspension 
bridges,  over  which  foot  passengers,  animals  and  caravan 
traffic  pass  to  and  fro.  The  town  is  paved  with  stone 
throughout,  the  houses  are  built  on  wooden  frames,  with 
movable  wood  fronts,  mostly  painted  brown,  but  some  of  the 
walls  are  built  of  stone.  The  architecture  is  a  modified  Chinese 
Tibetan  style  found  all  along  the  frontier. 

The  finest  building  in  the  place  is  the  Ming-chen  Ssii.  This 
title  was  given  by  the  Chinese  to  the  Tussu  of  Chala  State, 

226 


up  tilt'  Tiint^-  River. 

which  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  Tung,  on  the  west  by  the 
Yalung  Rivers,  on  the  north  by  Matze  and  Gaishechia,  and 
on  the  south  by  the  Huang  Lama's  district,  whose  headquarters 
are  at  Mih,  a  ten  days'  journey  south. 

We  called  to  see  Ming-chen  Tussii,  but  unfortunately  he 
was  not  at  home.  We  entered  a  large  compound  surrounded 
by  a  high  stone  wall,  enclosing  lofty,  semi-Chinese  buildings, 
with  sloping  roofs  and  covered  eaves.  The  roof  was  decorated 
by  several  gilded  pinnacles. 

The  poor-looking  residence  of  the  Sub-prefect,  who  also 
fills  the  position  of  commissary,  is  close  by,  but  looks  small 
and  insignificant  in  comparison. 

The  Tussu  has  been  pohtely  asked  to  remove  to  his  summer 
residence,  which  lies  ten  miles  to  the  south-west,  as  his  city 
abode  will  be  required  by  the  Warden  of  the  Marches.  This 
may  be  only  a  temporary  arrangement,  but  the  Chinese  policy 
is  an  aggressive  one,  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  they 
may  be  able  to  dispose  of  the  services  of  the  Prince  of  Chala, 
though  his  residence  may  prove  useful  for  housing  the  Chinese 
officials,  his  successors.  At  present  this  once  powerful  Tussu 
is  only  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  the  Chinese.  He  is  useful  to 
them  in  securing  transport  for  their  mihtary  suppHes.  His 
people  are  groaning  under  the  heavy  burden  thus  imposed 
on  them,  for  hundreds  of  animals  are  required  daily  to  forward 
the  supplies  and  ammunition  to  the  troops  which  are  scattered 
along  the  frontier. 

We  must  now  return  and  have  a  peep  into  the  monastery 
which  is  close  by.  We  entered  a  large  room  and  were  received 
by  the  secretary.  After  tea  and  refreshments  he  led  us  to  the 
general  assembly  room,  from  the  gallery  of  which  we  had  a 
fine  view  of  the  service  that  was  being  conducted.  On  an 
elevated  seat,  on  which  was  a  silk  cushion,  sat  a  lad  of  about 
sixteen  years.  He  was  an  incarnation  of  Buddha.  In  two  rows 
down  the  centre  of  the  large  room  about  fifty  lamas  sat,  all 

(11243)  227  Q  2 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

with  bells  and  dorgies  (thunderbolts)  in  their  hands,  which 
they  waved  about  and  kept  time  to  the  weird  chant.  Candles 
and  butter  lamps  burned  on  the  altar,  causing  a  most  peculiar 
light  and  effect  as  we  looked  down  on  the  worshippers,  some 
of  them  apparently  most  devout,  while  some  of  the  younger 
members  of  the  party  were  quite  frivolous  and  inattentive. 
We  were  careful  not  to  attract  their  attention  that  we  might 
see  tiie  ceremony  under  ordinary  circumstances. 

However,  we  must  now  go  back  to  the  gochuangs  and  see 
what  is  going  on  there  before  we  take  our  departure.  I  have 
in  a  former  chapter  explained  that  a  gochuang  is  a  kind  of 
guildhall,  where  the  members  or  friends  of  a  clan  lodge. 

In  Tachienlu  there  are  many  of  these,  and  the  people  coming 
from  the  interior  always  put  up  in  their  own  guild,  and  through 
the  managers  of  these  guilds  they  buy  their  tea  or  other 
articles  of  import  to  Tibet.  The  articles  brought  from  the 
interior  for  the  most  part  also  go  through  the  hands  of  these 
indispensable  gochuang  managers.  In  other  words,  they  act 
as  the  middlemen  between  the  Chinese  merchant  and  the 
Tibetan  trader  from  the  interior.  It  is  only  by  remaining  in 
these  gochuangs  for  some  days  that  one  gets  some  idea  of  the 
business  that  goes  on  in  such  a  place,  for  from  the  street 
nothing  can  be  seen  of  what  is  going  on  inside  these  enclosures. 

We  said  good-bye  to  Tachienlu  friends  and  continued  our 
journey,  following  the  main  tea  road  as  far  as  Wassukou. 

The  river  was  a  seething  torrent  all  the  way,  and  falls 
almost  3,000  feet  in  six  li  (fifteen  miles).  In  several  places  we 
were  marching  right  in  the  spray,  that  was  dashed  far  over  our 
heads,  as  the  water  beat  its  surf  in  white  foam  against  the 
boulders.  Very  little  cultivation  was  to  be  seen  after  passing 
two  miles  below  Tachienlu.  About  some  of  the  houses  by  the 
roadside  a  small  patch  of  vegetables  or  tobacco  was  to  be 
seen,  but  such  cultivation  was  so  limited  as  to  be  scarcely 
worth  mentioning. 

228 


up  the  Tung  River. 


Wassukou  stands  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Lu  River,  just 
above  its  junction  with  the  Tung.  Here  we  spent  the  night. 
It  was  quite  early  when  we  arrived,  so  we  went  down  to  the 
river  to  watch  the  natives  fishing.  The  system  of  anghng 
adopted  was  one  commonly  used  by  the  Chinese  in  swift- 
running  streams,  where  the  fish  is  caught  when  passing  over 
the  shoals. 


SOME   OF   THE    PEAKS   OF   THE    DABA    RANGE. 

The  fishing  gear  consists  of  a  long  bamboo  rod,  with  a 
fixed  iron  ring  at  the  tip,  a  reel  is  attached  to  the  fishing 
rod,  sometimes  the  line  is  wound  between  the  thumb  and 
forefinger  and  over  the  elbow,  t^\■o  hooks  are  attached  to  the 
line  a  few  feet  apart,  and  a  small  lead  sinker  is  made  fast 
about  six  feet  higher  up.  The  line  is  thrown  out  into  the 
current,  and  let  run  through  the  iron  ring,  the  current  being 
swift  the  line  is  carried  away,  then  drawn  up  over  the  rapid 

229 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


again.  The  hooks  catch  in  the  side  of  a  fish  that  is  struggling 
to  get  up  the  rapid,  and  in  this  way  large  fish  are  sometimes 
caught,  but  it  requires  a  lot  of  practice  and  patience  to  be  at 
all  successful.  I  have  seen  fish  7  to  8  lbs.  landed  in  this  way, 
but  I  have  also  on  other  occasions  watched  the  fishermen 
work  away  for  an  hour  and  never  get  a  fish . 

Near  Wassukou  we  met  the  Sub-prefect,  who  was  out 
examining  the  road  that  was  undergoing  repairs  before 
Chaoerhfung,  the  new  Warden  of  the  Marches,  should  arrive. 
The  change  was  quite  noticeable  between  Tachienlu  and  this 
point,  but  it  would  not  be  very  lasting,  for  a  lot  of  loose  earth 
was  placed  over  the  rough  places,  which  a  good  shower  of  rain 
would  wash  away. 

In  many  places  boulders  which  had  been  washed  down 
and  almost  blocked  the  road  were  removed,  and  in  other  places 
they  were  immovable.  The  road  was  built  up  with  stones 
so  as  to  allow  chairs  and  mules  to  pass  without  any  difficulty. 
Two  thousand  men  were  reported  to  be  at  work  on  the  section 
controlled  from  Tachienlu. 

From  \\'assukou  we  passed  over  a  chain  bridge  spanning  the 
Lu  River.  This  bridge  was  built  of  thirteen  chains,  the  links 
of  which  were  about  twelve  inches  long,  made  of  three-quarter 
inch  iron.  These  chains  were  built  into  stone  masonry, 
and  made  tight  by  means  of  primitive  windlasses,  one  to  each 
chain,  and  turned  by  inserting  an  iron  crowbar  into  holes 
bored  in  the  log.  When  the  chains  were  jacked  tight,  the 
windlasses  were  built  over  with  masonry.  It  was  a  very 
good  bridge,  but  there  was  a  deal  of  vibration. 

We  travelled  up  the  right  bank  of  the  Tung  for  four  miles, 
where  we  arrived  at  Kutze,  and  took  shelter  from  the  pelting 
rain  in  the  old  Tibetan  temple.  There  we  found  an  ex-Lama, 
who  had  been  turned  out  of  the  Lamasery  on  account  of  a 
fight  he  had  had  with  another  brother  of  his  order,  so  he  said, 
but  I  should  judge  there  was  a  more  serious  charge  against 


Up  the  Tuiii;-    River. 

liim.  The  temple  was  a  tine  building,  tliough  the  Lama  in 
charge  of  it  only  visits  it  twice  a  year.  Owls  and  bats  have 
taken  possession  of  the  place  and  roost  on  the  idols.  In  the 
daytime  the  rafters  of  the  temple  were  literally  covered  with 
bats.  The  lower  storey  of  the  temple  was  kept  locked,  but 
from  the  gallery  to  which  we  had  access  we  could  see  the 
gilded  faces  of  the  huge  idols  in  the  dim  light.  The  work 
about  the  altars  was  of  fine  workmanship  and  in  good  condition, 


IlEKH-CAl'HEREKS    OK    1,1  ANC  llOKON. 


bearing  testimony  to  the  fact  that  at  one  time  there  were 
many  devotees  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

The  temple  was  quite  unique  in  its  architecture,  very 
different  from  anything  we  had  seen  on  the  whole  journey. 
It  had  two  round  houses  built  out  on  the  roof  like  turrets, 
which  gave  the  place  a  very  fine  appearance. 

At  Kutze  there  was  a  single  rope  bridge,  worked  by  the 
ex-Lama,  who  was  certainly  an  expert  at  performing  on  the 

231 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

tight  rope  ;  he  tried  to  persuade  us  that  this  was  the  best 
place  to  cross,  but  we  learnt  that  there  was  a  ferrj'  boat  some 
distance  higher  up  the  stream  at  a  place  called  Chiang  Tsui 
(river's  lip),  and  there  we  found  a  very  frail  and  small  boat  in 
which  we  managed  to  get  across  safely. 

Here  the  river  bears  to  the  west  and  we  went  up  a  small 
stream  and  over  a  mountain  to  avoid  a  very  difficult  gorge, 
through  which  it  would  have  been  almost  impossible  for  our 
coolies  to  have  passed,  even  if  we  could.  We  spent  the  night 
2,000  feet  above  the  river  bed,  and  had  a  magnificent  view 
of  Paomashan  (race  horse  mountain)  to  the  south  of  Tachienlu, 
which  is  quite  25,000  feet  above  sea-level. 

The  country  is  picturesque  and  there  is  considerable  farming 
carried  on  along  the  valley  and  slopes.  The  people  belong 
to  Yutung,  where  a  chief  lives,  but  he  is  really  subject  to  the 
Muping  Tussu. 

On  passing  over  the  spur,  after  a  climb  of  2,000  feet,  and 
a  descent  of  nearly  as  much,  we  came  down  to  the  bed  of  the 
Songlin  River,  a  tributary  of  the  Tung  ;  this  we  followed  to 
one  of  its  sources. 

At  Heiku  we  found  quite  a  large  Bon  or  Black  monastery, 
and  purchased  some  of  their  books.  I  was  sorry  not  to  have 
a  copy  in  Tibetan  to  give  them,  and  even  the  few  copies  of 
Chinese  Scriptures  I  had  picked  up  at  Tachienlu  had  all  been 
disposed  of. 

The  people  were  most  friendly,  though  no  foreigner  had 
ever  been  here  before.  We  spent  the  night  in  a  water  mill 
a  little  farther  on,  just  before  entering  one  of  the  finest 
forests  I  have  seen  for  a  long  time.  The  people  were  busy 
grinding  flour  till  nearly  12  o'clock,  but  at  last  the  water  was 
turned  off  and  we  ^ent  to  sleep. 

Next  morning  we  dipped  straight  into  the  dense  forest. 
For  the  first  five  miles  the  trees  were  not  very  large,  but  for 
the  next  thirty  miles  they  stood  as  straight  as  church  towers, 

232 


Up  the  Tung  River. 


and  many  of  them  measured  six  feet  on  the  stump,  or 
eighteen  feet  in  circumference.  I  have  never  seen  anything 
to  equal  them  outside  of  a  British  Cohimbia  forest. 

Years  ago  an  attempt  was  made  to  raft  timber  down  from 
here,  but  the  rapids  were  so  difficult  that  there  was  much 
loss  of  life  and  timber,  and  the  enterprise  was  abandoned. 
We  spent  one  night  in  this  forest,  and  the  next  day,  at  4  p.m., 
we  arrived  at  the  place  where  we  had  hoped  to  meet  Meares, 
for  we  had  sent  a  runner  on  ahead  to  escort  him  from  Hannin, 
where  we  expected  him  to  be,  and  bring  him  to  us  at  Linkou. 
He  had  left  for  Mongun  before  the  runner  arrived,  as  we  were 
two  days  later  than  we  had  expected.  So  after  waiting  two 
days  Brooke  went  across  to  Mongun  to  join  Meares,  and  I 
went  on  my  way  eastward  through  Muping  to  Chentu. 

This  was  a  very  rough  piece  of  country.  The  road  was 
built  out  on  bamboo  poles,  stuck  in  mortices  in  the  perpen- 
dicular rock,  sometimes  sixty  feet  above  the  stream.  I  arrived 
home  on  the  last  day  of  July,  1908,  in  the  hottest  weather 
that  had  been  known  in  Sechuan  for  twenty  years.  After 
the  cool  mountains  of  Tibet,  the  heat  was  enough  to  prostrate 
one,  for  the  thermometer  rose  to  105  in  the  daytime  and 
never  was  below  95  at  night  for  quite  three  weeks. 


233 


CHAPTER  XVil. 

Two  Gold  Streams. 

From  the  junction  of  the  Kermer  with  the  K\van37in  River 
at  Damba  the  united  stream  flows  almost  due  south  to  Romi 
Changku,  and  is  called  the  Ta  Chin  or  Great  Gold  Stream. 
At  Changku  another  large  stream,  called  the  Siaochin  or 
Small  Gold  Stream,  joins  it,  and  from  that  point  to  where  the 
road  leading  to  Ningyuenfu  crosses  it  the  river  is  known  by 
the  name  of  Tatuho  or  Great  Ferry  River.  From  there  to 
Kiatingfu,  where  it  joins  its  waters  with  the  Ya  and  Min 
Rivers,  it  is  known  as  the  Tung  or  Brass  River.  These  are 
all  local  names,  and  may  be  very  misleading  and  confusing 
to  the  traveller  as  well  as  to  the  reader — never  sure  of  just 
what  river  he  is  travelHng  on,  or  reading  about,  unless  these 
points  are  borne  in  mind. 

A  little  information  as  to  how  these  names  came  to  be  used 
and  why  they  exist  may  be  of  interest. 

We  will  go  back  to  the  source  of  the  stream  and  follow 
them  down  again.  Kermer  is  a  Tibetan  name,  given  to  the 
branch  of  this  river  that  rises  in  the  Kermer  Mountains  or 
plateau,  a  range  that  divides  the  waters  of  the  Tung  from 
those  of  the  Min  River  or  Fu,  as  it  is  called  near  Songpan. 
This  river  runs  through  the  pasture  lands  and  camping 
grounds  of  Upper  Kermer,  Middle  Kermer,  and  Lower  Kermer. 
These  three  settlements  are  on  the  southern  slopes  of  Ngaba 
State.  We  now  follow  the  stream  down  through  the  States 
of  Somo,  Drukagi  and  Runga,  to  its  junction  with  the  Kwan- 
yin  River.     The  latter  river  forms  the  boundary  line  between 

234 


Two  Gold  Streams. 


Runga  State  and  Cliosschia.  Kwanyin  is  the  largest  or 
longest  of  the  two  streams,  the  true  source  of  the  Tachin  or 
Tung  River.  Some  of  its  tributaries  rise  in  the  Baian  Tukmu 
Mountain  in  tlie  Goluk  Range,  which  divides  the  waters  of 
the  Huanghu  from  those  of  the  Yangtze.  It  derives  its  name 
from  a  large  Lamasery  called  Kwanyin  Cumba,  which  is  built 


A    MONASTERY    IN    BATI    ON    THE    r.REAT    r.OI.D    RIVER. 


on  its  banks,  about  three  days'  journey  north-west  of  its 
junction  with  the  Kermer.  One  of  the  Kwanyin 's  tributaries 
rises  on  the  northern  slopes  of  the  Dabo  range,  and  flows 
through  the  centre  of  Youkoh  State.  This  branch  we  followed 
for  several  days,  and  crossed  it  almost  at  its  source. 

We  must  now  return  to  Chosschia  and  trace  the  Tachin 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

River.  From  the  junction  of  the  Kermer  to  Kwanyin  Rivers 
it  runs  through  a  valley  which  has  a  rich  gold  deposit.  Great 
quantities  of  this  precious  metal  have  been  washed  from  the 
sands  along  the  banks  of  this  stream,  and  also  from  deep 
tunnels  sunk  into  the  bank  near  the  river's  edge,  w^here  de- 
posits of  silt  have  been  made  sufficient  to  turn  the  stream 
from  its  former  channel.  This  is  the  case  also  with  the  Siao- 
chin,  and  from  their  gold  deposits  both  of  these  streams 
derive  their  names. 

From  Hsu  Ching,  a  strong  military  outpost  and  the  most 
important  town  in  the  Tachin  valley,  the  Chinese  have  taken 
possession  of  most  of  the  land  along  the  river,  though  it  has 
cost  them  a  great  many  lives  to  do  it.  In  the  time  of  Chen 
Lung  fierce  battles  w^ere  fought  in  these  valleys,  and  the 
famous  Tussu  Solo  Wang  was  subdued.  Tw^o  small  States 
further  south — Bati  and  Bawang — still  retain  their  here- 
ditary Tussus,  where  the  old  cult  of  the  Bon,  a  primitive 
form  of  native  worship,  yet  exists,  and  is  still  the  State  re- 
ligion. Buddhism,  therefore,  has  never  been  fully  estab- 
lished here,  but  it  is  steadily  making  its  way. 

In  the  Siaochin  valley  there  is  only  one  small  native  State 
left — Ojen  or  Wokji — which  is  still  governed  by  an  here- 
ditary Tussu.  The  rest  of  the  valley  is  directly  under  the 
Chinese  officials  stationed  at  Mongun.  They  employ  native 
headmen,  called  respectively  Peifu  and  Chienfu,  i.e.,  the 
head  of  lOO  families  and  the  head  of  i,ooo  famihes,  and  these 
are  hereditary  offices,  and  are  a  remnant  of  the  old  Tussu 
system.  This  system  the  Chinese  are  trying  to  adopt 
throughout  all  this  country  and  Tibet.  Chaoerhfeng,  the 
present  Warden  of  the  Marches,  may  be  able  to  accomplish 
their  pohcy,  but  not,  I  fear,  without  a  struggle  on  the  part 
of  the  tribesmen. 

It  was  in  these  valleys  that  ]\Ieares  was  travelling 
while    Brooke    and   myself   were    on    the   long   journey   de- 

236 


Two  Gold  Streams. 


scribed  in  the  former  chapters,  and  here  I  may  summarise 
his  wanderings,  as  he  told  us  of  them. 

It  was  decided  that  he  should  go  south  with  the  coohes 
and  their  baggage  while  he  went  toward  the  Tibetan  frontier, 
and  we  hoped  to  meet  at  Changku  by  a  certain  date. 

He  travelled  down  the  fertile  valley  of  the  Tachin  among 
cornfields  and  beautiful  scenery.  The  river's  banks  were 
covered  with  flowers,  over  which  fluttered  gaudy  butterflies. 


;roup  of  tribesmen  in  the  tachin  valley. 


while  brightly-coloured  parrots  flashed  among  the  trees, 
which  were  abundant  along  the  water's  edge.  It  was  even- 
ing when  he  reached  Hsuching,  a  Chinese  military  outpost. 
The  ofacial  seemed  pleased  to  see  him,  and  invited  him  to 
dinner. 

He  found  plenty  of  fruit  for  sale  on  the  streets.  This 
district  is  famous  for  its  pears,  and  later  in  the  year  they  are 
even  shipped  to  Chentu,  an  eighteen  to  twenty  days'  journey. 

237 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

Continuing  down  the  river,  at  noon  the  next  day  he  came 
to  another  coracle  ferry.  The  river  was  running  in  high 
flood  and  it  took  some  time  to  cross. 

They  were  still  fourteen  miles  from  their  destination,  but 
the  ferryman  volunteered  to  take  Meares  and  his  interpreter 
down  by  river  in  an  hour  ;  so  they  struck  a  bargain.  They 
took  their  seats  in  the  bottom  of  the  walnut  shell,  and  were 
off  at  the  speed  of  an  Atlantic  liner.  The  craft  bobbed  up 
and  down,  turned  round  and  round,  while  the  boatman,  in 
a  half-kneeling  position,  endeavoured  to  steer  the  raft  off 
the  rocks  with  his  small  paddle. 

They  shot  a  number  of  cataracts,  and  at  last  came  to  a 
place  where  they  heard  a  tremendous  booming  and  roaring. 
The  boatman  worked  his  boat  to  the  shore,  and  landed  to 
have  a  look  at  the  rapid. 

First,  he  thought  it  was  impossible  to  shoot  this,  then  he 
said  he  would  try,  and  off  they  went  again.  When  the}- 
reached  the  big  waves  which  surged  quite  ten  feet  high  they 
were  hurled  into  the  air,  then  twisted  round  and  round  in 
the  eddy,  until  the  whole  world  seemed  to  be  swinging  ;  next 
they  disappeared  into  a  hollow  and  the  waves  broke  over 
each  side  of  their  tubhke  craft. 

The  escort  covered  his  face  and  cried  bitterly,  but  the 
boatman  worked  away  with  his  paddle,  and  soon  they  were 
in  smooth  water  again,  continuing  their  trip  to  the  large 
monastery  just  above  Tsonghua,  where  they  arrived  in  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour  from  their  starting  point. 

The  writer  having  made  this  same  journey  the  year  before, 
can  vouch  for  the  sensational  experiences  of  the  trip. 

Tsonghua  is  also  a  military  outpost,  but  all  these  officials 
have  both  civil  and  military  power. 

From  Tsonghua  they  went  over  the  pass  to  Mongun,  the 
largest  and  most  important  town  in  this  section  of  the 
country.       There    the    Brigadier    is    located,    and     there    it 

238 


A    (.HINESE    MANI'AKIN. 


Two  Gold  Streams. 


was    Meares    hoped    to    store    their    extra    baggage    and 
suppHes. 

Soon  after  leaving  Tsonghua  they  started  up  a  steep  moun- 
tain and  toiled  on  all  day  in  pouring  rain,  and  at  7  p.m. 
reached  a  herdsman's  hut,  where  they  put  up  for  the  night. 

Next  morning  it  was  still  raining,  but  they  set  out  to  top 
the  pass,  which  they  reached  at  11  o'clock. 

Though  it  was  the  middle  of  July  the  snow  was  still  lying 
deep  on  the  top,  and  they  all  felt  the  effect  of  the  altitude 
a  good  deal.  This  pass  is  over  16,000  feet  high.  Most  of  the 
coolies  collapsed,  and,  if  they  had  not  been  able  to  hire  some 
medicine  diggers  to  carry  the  loads  over,  they  would  have  been 
stranded. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  mountain  they  found  a  large  glacial 
valley  covered  with  grass  and  decorated  with  flowers. 

On  the  upper  slopes  there  was  a  deep  soft  carpet  of  edel- 
weiss, adorned  with  a  profusion  of  large  red,  yellow  and  blue 
poppies.  Lower  down,  the  slopes  were  covered  with  cowslips 
and  other  flowers  like  primroses,  besides  many  other  varieties, 
the  names  of  which  were  unknown. 

Scattered  through  the  valley  was  a  number  of  herdsmen's 
tents,  and  large  droves  of  yak  were  grazing  on  the  rich  pas- 
ture. Below  this  they  came  to  timber  land,  which  is  rather 
a  rare  thing  in  this  part  of  the  country,  where  the  mountains 
are  for  the  most  part  destitute  of  trees. 

They  reached  Mongun  in  a  heavy  rain,  to  find  the  bridge 
had  collapsed,  leaving  only  one  log  to  connect  the  buttments 
on  either  shore.  With  much  difficulty  they  got  across  and 
very  soon  reached  the  street,  where  they  found  an  inn  and 
plenty  of  Chinese  food  for  sale. 

After  paying  off  all  the  coolies  but  three,  and  stowing  the 
baggage  in  the  ofiicial's  yamen,  they  set  out  for  Changku, 
a  town  three  hard  marches  south-west,  situated  near  the 
junction  of  the  two  gold  streams.     The  first  day  they  had 

(U243)  241  K 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

no  difficulty,  but  the  river  was  rising  fast,  and,  for  the  next 
two  stages,  the  path  for  much  of  the  way  was  submerged  by 
the  swirling  stream.  It  was  impossible  to  climb  the  steep 
chffs  that  hemmed  in  the  valley  in  many  places,  so  there 
was  nothing  for  it  but  cautiously  to  wade  through  the  sub- 
merged places,  a  most  difficult  task  for  the  coohes  with  their 
loads.  It  was  rather  chilly  work,  thus  wading  in  the  ice  cold 
water,  for  the  melting  snow  was  pouring  into  it  from  the 
surrounding  heights.  They  at  last  reached  Changku,  to  find 
a  man  waiting  them  with  a  letter  from  Brooke,  saying 
that  he  was  going  with  me  still  further  west,  and  that  we 
would  not  be  back  for  some  weeks.  So  Meares  filled  in  the 
time  by  visiting  the  tribes  of  Bati  and  Bawang,  who  live  on 
the  west  bank  of  the  Tachin,  north  of  Changku. 

Marching  up  the  right  bank  of  the  river  for  ten  miles  they 
came  to  the  capital  of  Bawang,  where  there  is  also  a  large 
monastery,  and  the  residence  of  the  Chief  is  near  by. 

They  were  soon  invaded  by  a  crowd  of  truculent,  ill-favoured 
looking  Lamas.  These  they  tried  to  entertain,  but  they  only 
grew  more  insolent  and  began  throwing  stones,  and  it  was 
with  some  difficulty  they  escaped  without  a  row. 

They  marched  on  to  Bati,  passing  the  famous  black  temple 
which  is  the  headquarters  of  the  Bonba  cult,  but  were  not 
successful  in  gaining  access  to  the  temple.  Mr.  Edgar,  so 
far  as  I  know,  is  the  only  foreigner  who  has  ever  been  inside 
it.  The  priests  would  not  allow  m.e  to  enter  this  temple 
when  I  passed  through  last  year.  Meares  reached  a  small 
town  on  the  right  bank  opposite  the  Tussu's  residence,  but 
the  river  being  in  high  flood  it  was  impossible  to  cross.  While 
Bonba  is  the  State  rehgion,  there  is  also  a  number  of  the 
Red  and  Yellow  cults  about,  and  they  have  a  monastery 
near  the  Bonba  temple. 

The  banks  of  the  river  are  rich  in  alluvial  gold,  but  no  one 
is  allowed  to  collect  it  except  the  Lamas,  and  these  only  for 

242 


Two  Gold   Streams. 


gilding  the  temple  roofs.  When  they  find  a  large  nugget 
they  are  supposed  to  put  it  back  in  the  earth,  that  it  may 
increase  and  multiply. 

From  here  Meares  returned  to  Mongun  by  the  route 
just  travelled,  where  he  arrived  without  further  adventure, 
except  that  on  one  occasion  a  huge  stone,  which  got  loose 


from  the  mountains,  came  tearing  down  into  the  valley  and 
crossed  the  road  just  in  front  of  them,  leaving  a  line  of  sparks 
behind  as  it  bumped  on  the  rocks. 

From  Mongun  he  next  set  out  for  Hannin,  where  he  hoped 

to  meet  us  on  our  way  back.     Hannin  is  a  pretty  little  place, 

nestling   in    the   mountains   at    a   height    of   10,000   feet.     A 

Chenfu  or  centurion  is  responsible  for  the  good  conduct  of 

(1 1243)  243  '^  - 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

the  people  there.  After  waiting  some  days  and  hearing  no 
word  of  us  he  returned  to  Mongun,  where  a  runner  from 
Mr.  Brooke  overtook  him,  saying  that  he  had  arrived  at  Liang- 
hokou,  a  place  three  days  south  of  Mongun.  Meares  sent 
back  word  that  he  would  wait  at  Mongun,  and  there  Brooke 
joined  him. 

After  a  few  days'  rest  they  continued  northward  toward 
Tsakalao  ;  the  weather  was  very  hot,  and  all  the  maize  fields 
were  burned  up  for  want  of  rain. 

Everywhere  the  people  were  beating  drums  and  cymbals 
and  burning  incense,  imploring  the  gods  to  send  rain.  If 
they  had  only  settled  down  to  a  few  hours'  hard  work  many 
of  the  fields  could  have  been  irrigated  from  the  streams  which 
flow  everywhere  down  the  mountain  side. 

All  along  the  river's  bank  were  to  be  seen  the  remains  of 
gold  diggings  which  had  long  since  been  abandoned.  As  far  as 
Lianghokou  there  was  a  good  deal  of  cultivation.  A  number 
of  Chinese  have  emigrated  into  this  valley  and  have  taken  native 
wives.  One  Chinaman  had  rented  a  mill  for  three  shillings 
a  year  and  married  a  native  wife  ;  her  he  sent  to  the  moun- 
tains to  dig  medicine,  while  he  ground  the  corn.  They  followed 
the  right-hand  stream  which  rises  in  the  Hongchiao  Pass, 
and  after  camping  for  a  night  in  a  deserted  herdsman's  hut, 
they  crossed  the  pass,  and  lodged  in  the  medicine  digger's  hut 
on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  mountain.  The  day  they  crossed 
the  pass  it  was  raining,  so  the  view  they  had  hoped  for  was 
unobtainable. 

One  more  day  brought  them  to  the  road  over  which  we  had 
passed  on  our  way  up  two  months  previously.  Two  more 
uneventful  marches  brought  them  to  Tsakalao.  As  they 
intended  to  rest  for  a  few  days  they  pitched  their  tents  on 
the  river's  bank  some  distance  from  the  town. 

Some  large  walnut  trees  afforded  splendid  shade  from 
the  hot  sun.     Here  they  held  a  spring  cleaning.     First,  they 

244 


Two  Gold  Streams. 


washed  themselves,  then  all  their  clothes,  and  then  made 
the  coolies  do  likewise.  This  was  not  an  easy  matter,  for 
although  it  was  hot  in  the  sun  the  water  was  very  cold.  But 
one  man  undertook  the  task,  and  the  rest  all  followed  like  a 
flock  of  sheep. 

They  went  over  the  pass  by  which  Mearcs  had  come  in 
when  returning  from  his  takin  hunt  in  May,  and  camped 
near  the  salt-licks,  hoping  they  might  again  meet  with  a 
takin,  for  Meares  was  anxious  to  photograph  a  live  one. 
Brooke  spent  two  days  and  nights  waiting  for  one  of  these 
strange  creatures  to  appear,  but  vainly  ;  there  were  plenty 
of  tracks  about,  but  the  creatures  that  made  them  were  no- 
where to  be  found.  They  changed  places  and  Brooke  went 
on  the  hunt,  while  Meares  took  his  bed  to  the  salt-lick  and 
waited  to  get  a  photograph.  For  three  days  he  waited  without 
result.  The  fourth  day  the  rain  fell  heavily,  and  during  the 
night  a  stream  came  down  under  the  rock  where  he  was- 
camped.  The  rocks  were  loosened  by  the  heavy  rain,  and 
began  rolling  down  the  steep  hillside.  When  daylight  broke 
he  picked  up  his  wet  bed  and  cleared  out,  but  on  reaching  the 
main  stream  he  found  that  the  log  which  spanned  it  had  been 
washed  away. 

After  wading  down  the  side  of  the  torrent  for  some  dis- 
tance he  met  Brooke,  who  had  come  out  to  find  him,  and 
they  were  able  to  fell  a  tree  across  the  torrent,  and  thus 
bridge  it.  The  weather  continued  wet,  so  sending  one  of 
the  hunters  back  to  Tsakalao  for  mail,  they  awaited  his  return. 
Two  days  later  he  arrived  with  a  big  bundle  on  his  back, 
and  they  rushed  at  him  and  seized  it,  hoping  to  find  the  long- 
expected  letters  and  papers.  On  tearing  open  the  parcel 
they  found  nothing  but  bacon.  This  mail  had  been  sent  to 
Colonel  Kao  for  them,  but  he  had  had  to  leave  home,  and 
being  desirous  to  keep  their  letters  in  safety,  had  locked  them 
in  a  box.     So  after  the  hunter  had  partaken  of  a  meal  he 

245 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

went  back  again  for  the  letters,  and  two  days  later  returned 
with  such  a  bundle  of  mail  that  it  took  some  time  to 
read  it. 

After  spending  several  more  days  in  a  fruitless  hunt  after 
the  takin  they  came  on  to  Chentu,  and  made  preparations 
for  their  journey  southward  through  China  and  India,  where 
they  hoped  on  their  way  to  pass  through  the  Rema  and  Lisu 
tribes. 


246 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

Mantze  Religion  and  Customs. 

My  readers  may  ask,  Who  are  these  Mantze  and  in  what 
way  are  they  different  from  the  rest  of  the  people  of  West 
China  ?  I  must  admit  that  this  is  a  fair  question,  and  so  far 
I  have  only  been  telling  you  about  the  experiences  of  in- 
dividuals who  have  travelled  through  their  country. 

From  scraps  of  history  which  I  have  been  able  to  gather 
and  translate,  as  well  as  from  reports  given  by  the  people 
themselves,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  people 
known  as  the  Mantze  are  emigrants  from  Gari,  a  place  just 
north  of  Siklim,  near  Camba  Dsung.  Over  800  years  ago 
they  were  invited  by  the  Chinese  to  come  over  and  help  them 
subdue  the  fierce  warlike  tribes  of  the  Upper  Min  or  Fu  River, 
who  were  constantly  raiding  the  Chinese  along  the  plain, 
and,  when  pursued,  retreated  into  the  mountains  out  of  reach. 

Three  thousand  of  the  Gari  mountaineers,  many  of  them 
with  their  families,  came  over  to  help  and  subdue  the  raiders ; 
and  were  given  the  promise  of  free  homesteads  on  the  land 
previously  inhabited  by  the  people  called  Changmin,  who 
were  the  original  inhabitants.  Fierce  battles  were  fought, 
the  Gari  emigrants  attacking  from  the  rear,  while  the  Chinese 
troops  came  in  from  the  plain. 

The  Changmin  were  driven  back,  and  the  land  they  occupied 
was  ceded  to  the  strangers  who  had  recently  arrived  from  the 
head  waters  of  the  Brahmaputra,  on  condition  of  their  being 
loyal  to  the  Chinese  Government. 

Hereditary  titles  were  given  them  and  they  were  left  in 
247 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

control  of  these  mountainous  regions,  if  only  they  would  check 
the  raids  of  the  aborigines,  and  render  tribute  to  the  Chinese 
Government  as  acknowledgment  of  China's  sovereign  right 
over  the  country. 

For  many  years  there  was  a  fierce  struggle  carried  on  between 
the  Changmin  and  their  new  enemies,  the  Mantze  orGarionian, 
who  had  crowded  them  back  and  taken  possession  of  their 
lands. 

To  enable  these  invaders  to  withstand  the  fierce  attack 
of  the  Changmin,  strong  stone  stockades  were  built  on  the 
spurs  of  the  mountains,  where  the  natural  surroundings 
afforded  the  greatest  amount  of  protection.  We  find  many 
of  their  chaitze  or  forts  built  in  such  positions  that  very  few 
men  would  be  needed  to  defend  a  whole  fort.  This  also 
accounts  for  the  great  towers,  like  factory  chimneys,  which 
we  find  everywhere,  and  which  were  used  for  two  purposes  ; 
firstly  as  beacons,  in  case  of  a  sudden  raid,  when  a  fire  was 
kindled  on  the  top  of  these  great  towers,  and  friendly  villagers 
would  come  rushing  to  their  aid ;  secondly,  for  storing  their 
valuables  and  grain.  The  cattle  were  driven  into  the  lower 
storey  and  were  shut  in  by  great  heavy  doors.  In  case  of 
being  hard  pressed,  the  inhabitants  took  their  final  stand 
around  this  tower;  and  when  compelled  to  take  shelter, 
retreated  up  a  ladder  or  temporary  scaffold  that  led  to  the 
second  storey  of  the  tower,  and  defended  that  through  the 
turret  holes,  and  by  casting  stones  from  the  top  on  their 
enemies. 

It  was  this  most  uncertain  and  strenuous  life  that  made 
these  people  such  famous  warriors,  and  accounts  for  the 
name  given  them  by  the  Chinese,  "  Manpuko,"  meaning 
"Cannot  be  overcome";  Mantze  means  "One  who  cannot 
be  overcome,"  and  originally  they  were  thus  looked  upon  by 
the  Chinese.  Later  the  character  applied  to  an  unruly  tribe, 
which  means    "  barbarous — unruly,"    was  used  in  writing  of 

248 


Mantze  Religion  and  Customs. 


them,  and  is  now  used  by  the  Chinese  in  contempt,  and  is 
much  resented  by  the  tribesman.  But  there  is  no  other 
Chinese  term  to  distinguish  them  from  the  Sifan,  employed 
in  reference  to  the  ordinary  Tibetan  of  Central  and  Northern 
Tibet. 

These  people  came  from  the  upper  slopes  of  the  Brahma- 
putra, where  that  form  of  nature  worship  known  as  the  Bon 
or  Bonba,  also  as  the  Black  Cap  cult,  existed.  They  were 
slow  to  surrender  their  sceptre  to  the  aggressive  Red  and 
Yellow  sects  of  Buddhism. 

To-day,  in  addition  to  the  large  Buddhist  monasteries 
found  established  in  this  country,  many  of  which  have  made 
a  compromise  with  the  Bonba  and  retain  many  of  their 
hideous  idols  in  the  temples,  we  find  the  orthodox  Bonba  in 
Bati  and  Bawang,  and  also  along  the  Tung  River,  between 
Wassukou  and  Romi  Changku.  The  priests  are  distinguished 
by  their  dress,  as  shown  in  the  photograph.  They  turn  their 
prayer  wheels  the  opposite  way  to  the  Yellow  and  Red  sects, 
and  their  teaching  is  looked  on  as  not  only  heterodox,  but 
most  wicked ;  yet  much  of  it  is  accepted  by  the  people  and 
winked  at  by  the  Lamas. 

The  Bonba  is  a  pre-Buddhist,  indigenous  Pantheon,  and 
the  idols  of  the  cult  are  the  most  obscene  and  vulgar  con- 
ceptions of  an  earthly  and  foul  mind.  Yet  the  people  worship 
before  these  obscene  and  even  fiendish  models,  offering  them 
blood  and  spirits,  as  well  as  all  the  cereals  produced  on  the 
land  ;  herbs,  tobacco  and  poisons  are  especially  offered. 
They  insist  on  the  maidens  wearing  nothing  more  than  a  string 
round  their  waist,  into  which  is  tucked  a  small  lamb  skin 
or  tassel  made  of  yarn,  which  hangs  to  the  knee. 

After  their  first  child  is  born  they  may  wear  skirts,  as  the 
gods  have  purified  them. 

The  priests  of  Bati  and  Bawang  States,  where  the  old  Bon 
cult  is   still  the  State  religion,  teach  the  people  that,  if  they 

249 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


divert  from  this  ancient  custom,  the  gods  will  grow  angry 
with  them,  and  they  will  all  die  off.  In  winter  time  they  wear 
a  coat  woven  from  yam  made  of  yak  hair,  which  keeps  them 
pretty  warm.  In  the  summer  months  the  valley  in  which 
they  live,  in  fact  the  whole  valley  of  the  Tachin,  is  very  hot. 

The  neighbouring  tribes  have  long  since  discarded  this 
custom  and  all  the  females  wear  plaited  skirts. 

The  black  priests  wear  a  conical  black  hat,  similar  to  that 
of  Mother  Hubbard,  and  very  similar  to  the  dunce  cap  the 
Chinese  crier  wears  when  he  runs  in  front  of  an  official  chair. 
There  are  not  a  few  Bon  symbols  found  in  Chinese  architecture  ; 
for  example,  the  two  poles,  with  a  box,  much  the  shape  of  a 
grain  measure,  affixed  about  two-thirds  up  each  pole,  found 
in  front  of  every  yamen  and  temple,  is  a  relic  of  nature  worship 
which  is  not  unknown  to  the  Bonba. 

Buddhism  has  made  many  concessions  to  the  Bon,  and 
where  it  reahy  has  established  itself  in  the  Mantze  States, 
it  has  done  so  by  yielding  substantially  to  the  wishes  of  the 
people,  and  allo\ving  them  to  retain  much  of  their  old  belief 
and  customs  ;  though  in  many  of  the  States  Buddhism  has 
really  succeeded  Bonism,  yet  it  is  a  Buddhism  different  from 
that  of  most  parts  of  Tibet.  Colonel  Waddell  states  in  his 
invaluable  book,  "  Lhasa  and  its  Mysteries  "  (page  381), 
that  the  Black  Cap  is  not  unknown,  even  at  Lhasa.  He 
writes :  "  They  have  no  literature,  and  utter  their  sayings 
orally.  The  leading  oracles  in  Lhasa  are  the  Nachung  and 
the  Karmashar. 

"  The  chief  oracle  is  attached  to  the  principal  State 
monastery,  Dapung.  For,  notwithstanding  its  un-Buddhist 
character,  this  gross  form  of  heathen  sorcery  was  so  deeply 
rooted  in  the  minds  of  the  people  that  that  crafty  ruler,  the 
first  Dalai  Lama,  brought  it  into  the  order  of  the  Lamas.  In 
doing  this  he  was  doubtless  actuated,  as  were  the  Roman 
governors,  by  the  obvious  political  advantages  of  having  so 

250 


Mantze  Religion  and  Customs. 


powerful  an  instrument  for  the   Government   service  entirely 
under  the  control  of  the  priests. 

"  Those  who  are  masters  in  this  art  bear  the  title  of  '  Chief 
of  the  Wizards,'  and  not  only  do  they  perform  at  stated 
festive  ceremonies,  when  they  dance  frantically  to  quick 
music  in  the  midst  of  clouds  of  incense,  burning  from  large 
swinging  censers,  but  they  also  take  it  upon  themselves  to 
frighten  the  people  into  paying  sums  of  money  to  the  temples, 
and  the  up-keep  of  the  Lamas,  who  live  on  the  fat  of  the  land, 
and  make  the  people  beheve  that  they  are  the  only  medium 
through  which  the  gods  can  be  approached." 

Demon  possession  also  forms  part  of  the  programme.  On  one 
occasion  I  witnessed  a  most  impressive  ceremony  while  I  was 
waiting  for  dinner  in  a  village,  and  everything  was  perfectly  quiet. 
Suddenly  we  saw  a  demon- possessed  priest  dressed  in  scarlet 
robes  with  a  black,  conical-shaped  hat  on  his  head,  and  in  his 
hand  a  sword  dyed  red  in  blood.  He  seemed  to  throw  himself 
down  the  hill  from  the  temple,  then  leap  in  the  air  brandishing 
his  sword  in  a  most  fantastic  manner  ;  then  he  seemed  to 
roll  down  the  hill,  head  over  heels,  and  land  on  his  feet, 
striking  with  his  sword  first  in  one  direction  then  in  another. 
At  last  he  reached  the  street  and  drew  near  us  in  a  most  aimless 
way.  His  face  was  painted  red,  and  he  certainly  looked 
hideous  enough  to  have  come  from  the  lower  regions.  He 
rushed  up  to  the  street  and  stood  opposite  me  for  a  minute, 
not  more  than  five  paces  away ;  my  men  all  screamed  and 
some  got  under  the  tables,  others  ran  for  their  lives.  The 
whole  street  was  in  an  uproar.  I  made  sure  he  was  a  Boxer 
and  drew  my  revolver.  When  the  old  lady  in  whose  house 
I  was  dining  saw  it,  she  threw  her  arms  around  me  and  cried, 
"  Don't  shoot,  he  is  my  son.  The  man  across  the  way  has 
borrowed  money  from  the  temple  some  years  ago  and  will 
not  pay  it  back,  and  the  idol  has  borrowed  my  son's  body 
to  come  down  and  chastise  him  ;  he  will  not  hurt  you  "     I 

253 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

assured  the  old  lady  that  she  need  not  fear  for  me,  that  so 
long  as  he  kept  his  sword  at  arm's  length  away  he  was  quite 
safe,  but  he  had  better  not  come  too  close. 

After  a  few  leaps  in  the  air  he  went  to  the  house  opposite, 
where  the  man  who  owed  the  money  lived.  The  poor  wretch 
was  so  frightened  that  he  lay  prostrate  on  the  floor.  The 
would-be  demon  marched  up  to  him,  threatening  to  smite 
him  with  the  sword,  waving  it  wildly  in  the  air,  while  the 
prostrate  man  on  the  floor  pleaded  for  mercy,  saying  he  would 
surely  return  the  money.  The  demoniac  never  spoke  through- 
out the  whole  performance,  and  with  wild  leaps,  came  out  of 
the  house,  staggered  up  the  street  and  then  ran  up  the  hill 
to  the  temple  like  a  madman.  In  all  my  wanderings  on  the 
Tibetan  border  I  had  never  seen  anything  like  it  before,  my 
coolies  and  helpers  said  they  never  did  either.  Judging  from 
the  secret  the  old  lady  gave  me,  the  whole  thing  was  arranged 
and  the  priest  just  worked  himself  up  to  a  great  state  of 
excitement,  which,  together  with  his  attire  and  blood-stained 
sword,  made  a  most  impressive  sight. 

Buddhism  has  gained  much  ground  in  many  of  the  fertile 
valleys,  and  on  prominent  hills  we  find  large  monasteries 
containing  from  500  to  1,000  Lamas.  The  one  near  Miala 
is  the  largest  I  know  of  in  the  country,  which  claims  to  have 
about  2,000  names  on  its  register. 

The  feudal  system  that  prevails  has  held  the  lands  in  the 
possession  of  the  lords  or  Tussus,  who  have  in  turn  let  them 
out  to  their  people  on  condition  that  they  render  certain 
services  to  them  as  lords,  and  also  hold  themselves  ready  to 
serve  the  Chinese  Government  through  the  lords,  if  they  should 
be  called  out.  The  lands  thus  not  belonging  to  the  people, 
they  could  not  borrow  money  on  them,  nor  will  them  over  to 
the  monasteries,  as  is  done  in  some  parts  of  Tibet. 

Yet  the  Lamas  have  not  missed  any  opportunity  to  get 
possession  of  the  people  by  threats  of  the  evils  that  will  befall 

254 


Mantze  Religion  and  Customs. 


them  if  they  do  not  support  the  monasteries  and  the  Holy 
Lamas,  who  are  the  only  medium  between  God  and  man,  and 
they  also  teach  that  without  a  I.ama  there  is  no  remission  of 
sins. 

The  plan  adopted  is  to  have  a  Lama  succeed  to  the  Tussuship ; 
and,  once  that  is  accomplished,  the  whole  State  is  in  the  power 
of  the  leading  Lamasery,  and  the  people  have  to  bump  their 
heads  at  the  feet  of  a  vassal  lord  and  Father  Superior ;  and  at 
the  same  time  pay  their  dues  in  kind  to  the  monastery  for  the 
use  of  their  lands,  and  in  fact  for  the  right  to  exist  at  all. 
Once  the  State  falls  into  the  possession  of  the  monastery 
it  rarely  or  ever  emerges  from  its  grasp  again ;  for  while  the 
nearest  heir  should  succeed,  whether  male  or  female,  it  is 
always  arranged  by  the  powers  that  be  that  their  heir,  if  he 
be  a  male  child,  should  early  enter  the  Lamasery,  while  if  a 
female,  her  chances  of  reaching  maturity  are  very  poor  indeed. 
There  are  ways  and  means  known  to  these  spiritual  fathers 
of  a  superstitious  people  of  disposing  of  any  obstruction  that 
might  come  in  the  way  of  the  coach  of  State. 

The  Lamas  aim  at  keeping  the  people  in  ignorance,  but 
some  of  them  are  beginning  to  see  what  the  Lamas  want  is 
their  money.  The  worship  at  the  temple  is  largely  per- 
formed by  the  women,  though  some  of  the  men  also  make 
pilgrimages  to  these  Lama  strongholds  to  perform  their 
periodical  prostrations  before  the  fiendish-looking  idols  ;  but 
many  of  them  have  confessed  that  they  do  not  believe  in  the 
supernatural  powers  claimed  by  the  Lamas. 

The  Lamaseries  are  the  only  seats  of  learning,  and  the  layman 
who  wishes  to  learn  to  read  must  put  himself  under  some  priest 
and  study  Tibetan  writings,  the  only  literature  known  to 
them.  The  Black  Cap,  or  Bon,  also  use  the  Tibetan  script, 
but  the  text  of  their  books  is  quite  different  from  the  orthodox 
Lamaism.  Their  books  are  very  difficult  to  obtain  ;  I  was 
able  to  secure  one  copy  only,  and  that  was  from  a  young  priest 

255 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

who  sold  it  to  me,  when  his  superior  was  absent.  He  care- 
fully bound  it  up  and  made  me  put  it  in  my  baggage,  saying 
if  his  superior  got  to  know  of  it  he  would  be  expelled  from  the 
temple.  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  satisfy  myself  as  to  the 
teaching  contained  in  this  particular  scripture  of  the  Bon 
cult;  but  a  most  interesting  subject  still  remains  hidden 
away  in  closely  guarded  documents  and  parchments,  some 
of  them  written  on  a  paper  manufactured  from  a  kind  of 
willow  or  dogwood,  while  others  are  on  a  preparation  of  birch 
bark. 

The  Tussus  or  chiefs  intermarry  in  their  own  circle.  The  son 
of  a  chief  always  marries  the  daughter  of  another  chief,  so 
that  they  are  hopelessly  mixed  in  their  relationship.  Every 
Tussu  is  the  brother,  cousin,  uncle  or  aunt  of  all  the  others, 
so  that  the  hereditary  rights  may  be  passed  on  from  one 
generation  to  another.  It  is  a  more  difficult  operation  to 
disentangle  some  of  these  mixed-up  marriages  than  to  take  to 
pieces  and  build  up  again  the  most  complicated  Chinese  puzzle. 

The  young  man  may  have  something  to  say  about  the 
choosing  of  his  bride,  and  often  pays  a  visit  to  a  relation's 
home  to  enable  him  to  make  his  choice,  but  usually  the  parents 
make  the  choice  and  all  the  arrangements.  A  Tussu  may 
have  more  than  one  wife,  but  the  children  of  the  first  wife 
are  the  legitimate  heirs.  Should  there  be  no  offspring  by  the 
first  wife,  the  second  wife's  children  naturally  fall  heir  to  the 
hereditary  property  and  title. 

In  the  common  ranks  it  is  quite  different,  however ;  the  young 
men  and  women  mix  freely  in  the  home  and  in  the  fields, 
where  they  work  side  by  side.  They  make  their  own  love 
matches,  and  then  make  their  intentions  known  to  their 
parents.  Should  their  parents  object  to  the  wedding  the 
couple  sometimes  elope  to  a  neighbouring  State,  and  by  paying 
a  small  fee  may  be  pronounced  man  and  wife  by  the  Tussu, 
and  may  either  become  citizens  of  his  State    or   return  to 

256 


Mantze   Reliction  and  Customs. 


their  own  home.  A  divorce  may  be  had  by  a  small  payment 
to  the  Tvissu  by  either  party,  with  the  complaint  that  the 
pair  cannot  live  happily  together.  In  some  States  the  old  Bon 
custom  of  marriage  is  still  in  force. 

The  betrothed  goes  to  the  home  of  her  would-be  husband, 
and  lives  with  him  for  three  days,  after  which  she  returns 
to  her  parent's  home,  where  she  remains  till  her  first  child 
is  born ;  and  as  a  period  of  two  years  is  allowed,  this  custom 
leads  to  lewdness  of  the  most  open  form,  as  girls  thus  betrothed 
are  practically  profligates,  and  have  to  sleep  on  the  open 
fiat  roofs  of  the  houses,  with  a  ragged  piece  of  felt  rug  for  a 
mattress  and  often  only  thin  covering. 

The  greatest  possible  shame  is  for  a  woman  to  be  barren. 
When  her  child  is  born  she  takes  up  her  position  of  wife  and 
mother.  Presents  are  exchanged  in  proportion  to  the  position 
of  the  parties  concerned,  and  sometimes  a  feast  is  made, 
but  that  is  often  dispensed  with  in  the  common  ranks. 

Though  the  standard  of  morahty  set  by  the  Bon  is  so  very 
low,  yet  in  some  parts,  where  Chinese  sobriety  has  to  some 
extent  moulded  a  new  social  life,  we  find  things  quite  different^ 
and  the  traveller  will  see  very  httle  of  the  custom  described 
above  at  the  present  time,  except  in  the  Bati  and  Bawang; 
States. 

To  obtain  a  true  idea  of  the  social  hfe  of  this  people  in  most 
of  these  Federal  States,  you  must  again  come  with  me  on  a 
visit  to  the  home  of  an  hereditary  Colonel.  I  will  try  and 
be  brief,  yet  make  the  visit  as  comprehensive  as  possible. 

On  arrival  we  shall  be  met  at  the  door  by  the  Colonel,  and 
probably  his  wife,  a  very  pleasant  lady  of  about  forty  years. 
Next  we  shall  be  ushered  with  great  state  througli  the  main 
doors  into  the  yard  in  front  of  the  building,  into  which  all 
the  cattle  and  horses  are  driven  at  night,  and  round  which 
all  the  granaries,  store  houses  and  stables  are  located. 

Now  we  climb  up  a  steep  staircase  to  the  second  floor,  on 
(11243)  257  s 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

which  the  reception  and  guest  rooms  are  situated.  Being 
shown  into  a  large  room,  we  are  invited  to  take  a  seat  around 
a  table  and  have  a  chat  with  the  Colonel.  A  sweet  home-made 
wine  will  be  served  to  the  guests  by  the  Colonel's  wife  if  she 
is  acquainted  with  her  guests  or  wishes  to  show  them  special 
honour ;  or  it  may  be  served  by  her  handmaid  or  slave,  who 
wears  her  mistress's  bracelets  and  neck  ornaments  for  the 
occasion.  Tea  is  also  provided  for  those  who  refuse  to  take 
this  sweet  wine,  made  of  fermented  barley. 

The  Colonel  tells  us  of  his  experience  while  fighting  with 
Heishui,  the  people  of  the  Black  River,  under  the  humped- 
backed  chief  we  met  at  Matang,  who  have  been  amusing 
themselves  by  raiding  in  the  country  north  of  his  domains. 
He  had  to  call  out  i,ooo  of  his  militia,  and  go  out  to  crush 
them.  The  Colonel  is  full  of  what  took  place  on  the  field  and 
will  amuse  us  for  some  hours,  if  we  have  time  to  hsten  to  an 
account  of  the  guerilla  warfare  that  is  carried  on  between  these 
tribes.  But  we  must  confine  ourselves  to  their  religion  and 
customs. 

While  we  are  thus  seated  in  the  guest  room,  a  tall  stately  lady 
and  her  two  daughters,  one  aged  ten  and  the  other  thirteen, 
come  gracefully  into  the  room,  all  wearing  beautifully  em- 
broidered skirts  and  jackets,  a  beautiful  home-woven  sash  tied 
around  their  waists,  a  blue  kerchief  on  their  heads.  Their  hair 
is  plaited  up  in  two  long  braids,  crossed  on  the  forehead  and 
covered  with  rings  of  silver,  crusted  with  coral  and  turquoise. 
The  daughters  are  a  little  shy  at  first  in  the  presence  of 
strangers,  but  soon  get  over  this  and  become  quite  natural 
and  more  hke  European  children,  which  is  very  striking  after 
the  affectation  and  false  modesty  of  the  Chinese. 

A  little  later  the  servants  announce  that  the  meal  is  ready. 
Wheaten  cake,  macaroni,  stewed  venison  and  some  sweet- 
meats are  served,  and  more  sweet  wine  for  those  who  care 
for  it  is  offered  by  the  servants  on  bent  knee. 

25S 


Mantze  Rclitjion  and  Customs. 


At  sunset  the  servants  return  from  the  fields,  driving  in 
the  cattle,  sheep  and  horses  for  the  night. 

As  each  servant  comes  in  they  approach  the  mistress  of 
the  house  and  salute  by  dropping  on  one  knee,  and  she  has  a 
kind  word  for  each  of  them,  both  male  and  female.  When  the 
daughters  wish  to  address  their  mother,  they  perform  the  same 
graceful  act  and  present  their  request. 


A    HAPl'Y    FAMILY. 


We  are  reminded  of  customs  that  prevailed  in  the  Europe 
of  another  day.  When  the  children  come  in  from  the  fields 
they  drop  on  their  knee  and  salute  their  parents  ;  the  servants 
and  slaves  do  the  same.  They  all  live  under  the  same  roof 
and  eat  the  same  food.  There  is  the  greatest  friendship  and 
familiarity  between  the  children  of  the  lord  and  the  slaves' 
children,  who  all  play  together,  yet  they  never  take  liberties 
or  forget  their  position. 

(1 1243)  259  s  2 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

The  servants  are  free  from  worries,  they  Hve  in  a  fine  house, 
have  all  they  want  to  eat  and  wear.  A  httle  pocket  money  is 
given  them  on  occasion.  They  have  little  inclination  for 
city  life,  and  everywhere  you  hear  their  merry  songs,  making 
the  mountains  resound.  A  happier  people  it  would  be  hard 
to  find  than  the  family  we  have  just  visited. 

Their  evenings  are  spent  round  the  big  kitchen  fire,  about 
which  they  sit  and  chat,  sing  or  join  in  a  family  dance,  as  they 
feel  inchned. 

Since  we  are  old  friends,  we  may  be  specially  favoured  by 
an  invitation  to  the  family  kitchen  for  an  evening's  enter- 
tainment. 

We  are  led  through  a  corridor  up  another  flight  of  stairs, 
into  a  large  hall  at  the  back  of  the  castle.  The  room  is  about 
forty  feet  long  by  twenty  wide  ;  down  the  centre  is  the  fire- 
place, with  three  large  iron  pots  set  on  tripods,  and  under  one 
of  these  a  good  fire  is  burning,  and  corn-meal  cakes  are 
baking  in  the  ashes.  Ranged  on  shelves  round  the  walls 
are  all  kinds  of  beautiful  copper  and  brass  utensils,  glittering 
like  gold  in  the  torch  hght. 

The  slaves  open  some  of  the  old  chests  and  get  out  some 
fancy  clothes  and  masks.  They  are  going  to  act  a  play.  It 
is  about  a  man  who  was  jilted  by  a  girl  and  who  ran  away 
into  the  forest  and  became  a  monkey.  The  chief  was  out 
hunting  one  day  and  almost  shot  him,  but  just  discovering 
in  time  who  he  was,  brought  him  back  safely  to  the  girl,  and 
they  lived  happy  ever  after. 

After  the  play  they  will  give  us  a  specimen  of  their  native 
dance. 

The  girls  all  line  up  at  one  end  of  the  row  and  the  boys 
at  the  other.  Some  have  strings  of  bells,  and  the  dance  is 
half  a  play,  representing  the  chief  of  a  neighbouring  State 
coming  to  ask  for  help  in  a  war  he  is  tarrying  on.  The  girls 
say  good-bye  to  their  sweethearts,  and  as  they  dance  round 

260 


Mantze   Reliijion  and  Customs. 


and  round  the  fire,  they  first  act  a  scene  of  good-bye,  and  later 
one  of  welcome  lo  the  boys  on  their  return.  The  whole 
performance  is  most  graceful  and  attractive.  The  Colonel's 
wife  is  mistress  of  ceremonies,  and  her  two  daughters  and 
daughter-in-law  are  by  far  tlie  most  graceful  performers  and 
set  the  pace. 

This  is  their  way  of  spending  a  happy  evening  and  enter- 
taining their  special  guests. 

A  jar  of  sweet  wine  is  set  in  the  centre  of  the  room,  some 
long  bamboo  tubes,  a  little  thicker  than  a  straw,  are  set  in 
the  pot,  and  the  thirsty  go  forward  and  take  a  few  sucks 
through  the  tube  and  return  to  the  ranks. 

It  is  now  late,  and  we  must  retire,  but  the  performers, 
though  they  have  worked  hard  in  the  field  all  day,  and  must 
turn  out  at  sunrise  in  the  morning,  urge  us  to  stay  for  the 
next  scene,  and  if  we  want  to  see  the  play  finished  we  may 
have  to  wait  till  daylight. 

The  mistress  of  ceremonies  says  "  Enough,"  and  all  is  quiet. 
Refreshments  are  served  from  the  pot  she  has  been  watching 
with  one  eye,  while  with  the  other  she  has  seen  that  each  one 
played  his  or  her  part  properly. 

After  a  good  bowl  of  vermicelli  and  venison  soup,  we  retire 
to  our  room,  which  is  next  to  the  Colonel's,  and  sleep  soundly 
until  we  are  awakened  early  next  morning  by  the  merry 
laugh  and  tread  of  the  servants  as  they  drive  the  cattle  to  the 
grazing  ground,  or  take  their  departure  to  the  fields,  from  v.hich 
they  will  not  return  till  sundown. 

It  took  some  time  thus  to  gain  the  friendship  of  this  people, 
but  now  they  claim  me  as  one  of  their  own  and  say,  "  You 
are  so  different  from  what  we  had  heard  about  foreigners,  you 
are  one  with  us."  Their  home  is  open  to  the  writer  and  his 
home  is  open  to  them,  and  they  never  fail  to  find  it  when  any 
of  them  come  to  Chentu. 


261 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  Caves  of  West  China. 

After  spending  some  little  time  at  Chentu,  making  the  neces- 
sary preparations  for  a  second  journey,  Messrs.  Brooke  and 
Meares  started  off  again  with  the  intention  of  going  south 
to  Ningyuenfu,  a  city  lying  between  Lololand  and  the  Tibetan 
frontier. 

From  there  they  intended  to  make  a  tour  into  the  country 
marked  on  the  maps  "  Independent  Lololand,"  and  then 
turn  north-west  and  travel  towards  Batang,  thence  turn 
south-west  in  the  direction  of  Rima,  and  try  and  cross  that 
country  if  possible. 

Unfortunately,  their  interpreter,  a  man  they  had  engaged 
from  Shanghai,  developed  heart  trouble  and  had  to  be  sent 
home,  and  as  they  were  in  this  way  stranded  I  let  my  adopted 
Chinese  boy,  who  spoke  very  good  English,  go  with  them 
as  interpreter. 

They  left  Chentu  on  October  29  in  two  small  boats.  The 
party  consisted  of  Messrs.  Brooke  and  Meares,  two  inter- 
preters— i.e.,  one  English-Chinese  speaking  interpreter  and 
a  Chinese-Tibetan  speaking  one — besides  two  cooks,  seven 
pietze  or  back  coolies,  five  ordinar}^  coolies,  a  headman  and 
three  chair-bearers. 

The  party  with  all  the  baggage  filled  the  two  small  boats  ; 
but  the  river  was  in  good  condition  for  a  down  trip ;  and  as 
the  boatmen  rose  early  each  morning  and  plied  the  oars 
all  day,  they  were  carried  quickly  through  the  fertile  Chentu 
plains,   passing  under  a  number  of  beautiful  old  sandstone 

262 


The  Caves  of  West  China. 


bridges,  and  the  third  day  arrived  at  Chiatingfu,  where  they 
disembarked,  and  went  overland  to  Omeishan,  the  famous 
"Momit  of  Pilgrimage"  in  Western  China. 

To  Omei  come  pilgrims  from  all  parts  of  Szechwan  province 
and  also  from  some  of  the  neighbouring  ones. 

Every  year  during  the  winter  months,  thousands  of  Tibetans 
make  pilgrimages  to  this  sacred  mountain  to  worship  at  the 
summit,  where  Buddha  is  supposed  to  cast  his  halo  of  glory 
over  them. 

This  strange  phenomenon  has  been  described  by  more 
than  one  writer,  but  many  people  have  made  the  arduous 
climb  to  the  summit  of  Mount  Omei,  and  after  waiting  some 
days  to  see  the  wonderful  sight  have  gone  away  disappointed. 

But  the  fortunate  have  seen  the  almost  miraculous  effect  of 
the  sun  shining  on  the  clouds  that  rise  from  the  valley,  in 
which  their  own  shadow  was  reflected  and  magnified  many 
tens  of  times,  for  the  glory  of  Buddha  is  only  to  be  seen  when 
the  sun  is  in  a  certain  direction,  and  when  there  is  a  mist  rising 
from  the  valley.  To  stand  thus  on  a  pinnacle  ii,ooo  feet 
high,  and  look  over  a  cliff,  with  a  sheer  drop  of  many  hundreds 
of  feet,  and  see  reflected  in  mid  air — arrayed  in  all  the  colours 
of  the  rainbow— the  image  of  oneself  magnified  to  the  size 
of  some  tremendous  giant,  is  a  sight  not  to  be  missed  if  it 
comes  at  all  within  one's  reach,  and  there  is  little  wonder 
that  the  Buddhists  have  attached  a  miraculous  meaning 
to  the  strange  appearance. 

The  party  only  spent  one  night  in  Chaiting,  and  set  out 
for  the  famous  mount  early  next  morning.  A  march  of 
fifteen  miles  through  a  most  beautiful  valley  brought  them  to 
Omeihsien.  On  the  way  they  passed  the  adopted  home  of 
the  white  wax  insect,  for  this  wonderful  little  creature  is 
carried  all  the  way  from  the  Ningyuen  Valley  in  the  early 
spring  and  deposited  on  a  species  of  ash  tree  that  is  plentiful 
in  this  district.     On  these  trees  it  deposits  its  wax.  which 

263 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

is  gathered  in  the  autumn,  melted  and  moulded  into  cakes 
of  about  10  lbs.  each,  and  exported  to  all  parts  of  China  ; 
a  considerable  quantity  of  it  also  finds  its  way  to  Western 
countries.  This  is  one  of  the  chief  industries  of  this  section 
of  the  country.  A  strong,  coarse  kind  of  silk  is  also  raised 
and  manufactured,  and  these  are  the  two  special  productions 
of  the  valley  ;  but  in  so  tropical  a  climate  cereals  and  foliage 
of  all  kinds  are  abundant. 

On  reaching  the  little  cit}^  of  Omei,  which  is  situated  just 
below  the  mountain  spur,  they  entered  a  long  suburb  on  the 
eastern  side.  The  city  itself  is  little  more  than  a  quarter  of 
a  mile  square,  and  the  whole  place  is  covered  with  trees  and 
seamed  with  mountain  torrents,  which  give  it  an  appearance 
almost  park-like. 

The  next  day  they  passed  up  the  bed  of  a  torrent  and 
through  woods  that  gradually  thickened  into  forest  ;  and, 
passing  a  number  of  temples,  they  reached  at  last  the  long 
stone  stairs  that  lead  up  the  mountain  side. 

After  climbing  for  some  time  they  arrived  at  the  Temple  of 
Fuhusze  ("Tiger-taming  Temple  "),  where  they  had  breakfast. 

The  next  chmb  was  a  steep  one  of  about  14,000  feet  up, 
through  pine  groves  intermingled  with  nanmu  trees,  some 
of  which  had  grown  to  the  size  of  two  and  a-half  feet  in 
diameter,  and  quite  150  feet  in  height.  This  nanmu  is  a 
wood  much  in  demand  for  furniture,  and  compares  favourably 
with  walnut  in  appearance  when  polished,  but  is  much  softer. 

Most  of  the  buildings  on  Omei  are  temples,  in  which  live 
some  2,000  monks. 

So  far  they  had  only  climbed  a  spur  on  the  mountain,  and 
had  to  descend  into  a  valley  again  before  making  the  steep 
climb  that  leads  to  the  summit. 

The  most  remarkable  piece  of  work  they  found  on  the 
mountain  was  a  huge  brazen  elephant  in  a  shrine  at  Wan- 
nienssu  (Myriad  Years  Monastery). 

264 


The  Caves  of  West  Chhr. 


Mr.  Meares  writes  of  it  thus  : — "  Here  we  found  an  interest- 
ing building.  The  style  looked  Indian.  The  lower  part  was 
a  cube  thirty  feet  square,  which  graduated  into  a  circular 
dome,  all  beautifully  made  in  brickwork. 

"  Inside  the  temple  was  a  massive  wooden  cage,  and  in  the 
cage  a  great  bronze  elephant  of  Indian  workmanship.     The 


HE    HONG   CHIAO   PASS. 


elephant  had  three  tusks  and  bore  on  its  back  a  figure  of 
Buddha  in  a  lotus  blossom,  and  is  supposed  to  be  placed 
on  the  spot  to  which  Buddha  came  when  riding  on  his  white 
elephant." 

Mr.  Baber  wrote  thus  of  this  same  piece  of  workmanship  : — 
"  Just  below  it,  in  a  kind  of  hostel,  is  a  statue  of  Buddha 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

twenty-five  or  more  feet  high,  of  a  very  rude  and  archaic  style, 
reputed  to  be  the  oldest  idol  on  the  mountain.  It  is  said  to 
be  bronze,  but  I  took  it  for  pure  copper.  Nothing  could  be 
learned  of  its  age.  A  more  artistic  work  is  found  in  a  temple 
behind  Wannienssu,  in  a  separate  shrine.  Passing  under 
a  dark  archway  we  enter  a  hall,  in  the  middle  of  which,  as 
soon  as  we  could  see  through  the  dim  religious  light,  we  ob- 
served a  kind  of  palisade,  and  inside  it  an  elephant  cast  in 
magnificent  bronze  or  some  such  composition,  nearly  as 
white  as  silver.  The  surface  is,  of  course,  black  with  age 
and  the  smoke  of  incense,  but  I  was  able  to  judge  the  colour  of 
the  metal  by  inspecting  a  patch  which  had  been  worn  down 
by  a  practice  of  devotees  who  rub  coins  on  it,  and  carry  them 
away  as  relics.  The  size  of  the  image  is  that  of  a  very  large 
elephant,  that  is  to  say,  some  twelve  feet  high  ;  its  peculiarities 
are  that  it  is  somewhat  too  bulky,  that  the  trunk  seems  rather 
too  long,  and  that  it  has  six  tusks,  three  on  each  side.  With 
these  exceptions,  if  exceptions  can  be  taken,  the  modelling 
is  excellent,  and  a  glance  shows  that  the  artist  must  have 
studied  from  life,  for  the  folds  of  skin  on  various  parts  of 
the  body  and  the  details  of  the  trunk  are  rendered  with 
great  truth  and  success,  though  with  a  certain  conventionalism. 
The  creature  has  been  cast  in  three  sections — the  belly  an.d 
legs  forming  the  lower,  and  back  uppermost.  The  contour 
of  the  belly  is  complete,  but  on  stooping  underneath  one 
sees  that  it  is  hollow  and  that  the  exposed  edges  are  about  five 
inches  thick  ;  in  some  parts  the  metal  is  a  great  deal  thicker. 
Each  of  his  feet  stands  on  a  bronze  lotus,  and  on  his  back  the 
mammoth  bears,  in  place  of  a  howda,  another  huge  lotus- 
fiower,  in  which  is  enthroned  an  admirable  image  of  Buddha, 
cast,  I  was  told,  in  the  same  metal,  but  thickly  gilt,  his  tower  of 
glory  towering  to  a  height  of  thirty-three  feet  above  the  floor. 
Though  generally  called  a  Buddha,  the  image  represents 
P'u-hsien    P'u-sa    (Samantabhadra    Bodhisattva),    the    saint 

266 


The  Caves  of  West  China. 


who  is  the  patron — or  patroness,  for  the  Chinese  credit  him 
with  female  permutations— of  Mount  O.  The  monks  told 
me  that  P'u-hsien  descended  upon  the  mountain  in  the 
form  of  an  elephant,  and  that  the  casting  commemorated 
the  manifestation.  But  it  may  more  probably  bear  an 
allusion  to  the  well-known  vision  in  which  the  mother  of 
Buddha  saw  before  his  birtli  a  white  elephant  with  six 
tusks. 

"The  fane  which  encloses  the  casting  is  not  less  curious,  being 
a  hollow  cube,  covered  with  a  hemisphere  and  roofed  with  a 
pyramid.  The  walls  of  the  cube  are  twelve  feet  thick  ;  the  floor 
of  the  interior  is  a  square  of  thirty-three  feet  on  each  side. 
The  square  becomes  modified  into  a  circle  as  the  courses  arise, 
by  a  transition  which  is  gradual  and  pleasing  but  impossible 
to  describe  clearly  without  a  knowledge  of  technical  terms. 
Speaking  clumsily,  the  four  walls  each  terminate  in  a  semi- 
circular outline,  the  summit  of  each  semi-circle  touching  the 
circumference— i.e.,  the  base  of  the  dome— and  the  four 
corners  are  each  filled  with  three  masses  of  brickwork,  the 
surface  outline  of  the  central  mass  being  an  oval  pointed 
at  both  ends,  and  the  two  others  spherical  triangles.  The 
faces  of  all  three  are  concave.  The  circumference  of  the 
dome  is  thus  evolved  from  a  square  without  any  awkward 
abruptness,  and  it  is  only  on  trying  to  describe  it  geometri- 
cally that  the  arrangement  begins  to  appear  puzzling.  To  the 
eye  the  architectural  process  of  squaring  the  circle  is  perfectly 
simple.  The  dome,  however,  springs  from  a  rim  which 
stands  a  little  back  from  the  circle  thus  formed,  and  so  gains 
a  few  additional  feet  of  diameter  and  increased  hghtness  of 
appearance.  The  vault  is  to  all  appearance  a  hemisphere, 
very  smoothly  and  exactly  constructed.  The  whole  edifice 
is  of  brick  except,  I  think,  a  few  insertions  of  stone  blocks 
in  the  lower  courses.  The  walls  contain  a  series  of  ledges, 
on  which  are  placed  a  number  of  small  images  said  to  be  of 

267 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

silver.  The  only  light  which  enters  is  admitted  by  the  two 
arched  doorways  before  and  behind  the  elephant. 

"The  outside  of  the  shrine  cannot  be  seen,  as  it  is  enclosed 
in  a  timber  building,  which  entirely  covers  it.  Clambering 
by  means  of  this  envelope  on  the  roof  I  found,  instead  of 
a  cupola,  a  confused  heap  of  brickbats,  the  debris  of  a  low, 
four-sided  pyramid  which  seems  to  have  been  faced  with 
porcelain  tiles.  The  timber  casing  was  absurdly  added  by 
the  monks  to  protect  them  from  the  weight  of  the  winter 
snow,  a  fair  indication  that  the  shrine  was  not  built  by 
Chinese.  So  solid  a  building  would  probably  stand  fast 
even  if  the  whole  mountain  were  upset  on  to  it.  The  pre- 
caution has  gone  far  to  defeat  its  own  purpose,  for  the  wooded 
husk  has  been  twice  burned  to  ashes,  damaging  not  only 
the  roof  but  the  tusk  of  the  elephant  as  well.  It  is  said  that 
they  were  melted  off  by  the  intense  heat.  The  present  tusks 
are  a  feeble  restoration  built  up  of  plates  and  bands. 

"With  respect  to  the  age  and  origin  of  the  shrine  and  its 
contents,  the  most  authentic  information  is  found  in  the 
Ssu-ch'uan  Topography  to  the  following  effect  : — '  The 
Monastery  of  "  Clear  Water  P'u-hsien  "  on  Mount  Omi,  the 
ancient  monastery  where  the  patriarch  P'u  served  Buddha, 
dates  from  the  Chin  dynasty  (a.d.  265-313).  During  the 
T'ang  dynasty  Hui-t'ung  made  his  hermitage  there.  It  was 
named  "  Clear  Water  P'u-hsien  Monastery  "  under  the  Sungs  ; 
Wan-li,  of  the  Mings,  changed  its  style  to  "Saintly  longevity 
of  a  myriad  years."  The  "  Hall  of  Great  O"  stood  in  front, 
facing  which  was  the  "monument  of  Illustrious  Patriarchs 
of  the  South,"  on  the  left  the  "monument  of  Sylvan  Repose." 
The  buildings  included  a  series  of  seven  shrines,  the  first  of 
which  contained  a  "  P'i-lu  "  (?)  the  second  seven  Buddhas, 
the  third  a  Deva  king,  the  fourth  a  guardian  deity  (Chin- 
kang),  and  the  fifth  a  great  Buddha  ;  the  sixth  was  a  re- 
volving spiral  constructed  of  brick,  enclosing  a  gilded  bronze 

268 


The  Caves  of  West  China. 


image  of  P'u-hsien,  sixteen  feet  high,  mounted  on  an  elephant. 
In  the  beginning  of  the  Sung  dynasty  (a.d.  960)  orders  were 
given  to  set  up  a  bronze  shrine  and  a  bronze  image  also,  more 
than  100  feet  high.  Under  Wan-li,  the  Empress-mother 
directed  the  shrine  of  P'u-hsien,  namely,  the  spirally-con- 
structed edifice,  to  be  carefully  and  thoroughly  restored,  and 
had  the  elephant  gilt.' 

"The  existing  building  is  obviously  the  '  revolving  spiral  '* 
here  mentioned,  and  the  awkwardness  of  the  term,  which 
conveys  no  idea  to  a  Chinaman,  is  another  proof  that  the 
builders  were  not  Chinese.  A  name  has  had  to  be  invented 
for  an  exotic  form  of  construction,  and  there  is,  so  far  as  I 
am  aware,  no  other  instance  of  a  true  dome  of  brick  or 
masonry  in  China.  It  seems  safe  to  conclude  that  the  builders 
of  P'u-hsien  shrine,  as  well  as  the  artist  who  designed  the 
castings,  were  Indian  Buddhists." 

My  friends  were  told  that  in  another  temple  there  was  a 
mummy  of  the  priest  who  had  made  the  road  up  the  moun- 
tain. Never  having  heard  of  a  mummy  in  China  Mr.  Brooke 
was  curious  to  see  it,  and  by  offering  a  small  sum  in  money 
he  prevailed  on  the  priest  in  charge  to  climb  on  the  altar 
and  undress  the  figure,  which  turned  out  to  be  made  in  clay 
and  rather  badly  finished.  They  reached  the  top  of  the 
mountain  in  a  pouring  rain,  but  got  comfortable  quarters 
in  a  temple  on  the  summit,  and  were  tired  enough  to  sleep 
soundly  amid  the  periodical  banging  of  drums  and  clanging 
of  cymbals. 

*  In  the  name  "revolving  spiral"  \vc  seem  to  have  another  allusion  to 
such  structures  as  are  mentioned  in  the  note  on  page  25.  In  the  present  case 
there  may  have  been  some  wooden  structure,  formerly  pivoted  in  the  dome, 
that  revolved.  The  suggestion  of  Hindu  builders  does  not  help  to  solve  the 
puzzle  of  the  dome.  The  description  of  the  square  building,  with  pendcn- 
tives  and  circular  dome,  rather  suggest  work  like  that  of  the  Indian 
Mahommedan  of  the  Deccan  in  the  sixteenth  century  (see  Fergusson's 
"  Indian  and  F^astcrn  .Architecture,"  page  560). 

269 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

When  they  awoke  next  morning  the  whole  mountain  was 
covered  in  a  blanket  of  snow,  and  as  it  was  cloudy  and  there 
was  no  chance  of  seeing  the  Buddha's  glory,  they  inspected  the 
temples,  and  then  hurried  down  and  slept  that  night  four  miles 
from  Omeihsien. 

They  were  very  much  disappointed  in  the  temples ;  many 
of  them  had  the  appearance  of  having  been  burnt  down  and 
very  recently  rebuilt,  and  seemed  to  have  small  historical 
interest.  Many  of  them  looked  more  like  broken-down 
barns  than  temples.  The  weather  was  very  wet  ;  it  was  not 
the  time  of  j^ear  for  pilgrims  to  visit  the  sacred  shrines,  and 
many  of  the  temples  were  closed,  and  this  may  account  to 
some  extent  for  the  impression  they  received.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  in  this  region  there  are  many  historical  land- 
marks, for  though  the  Lolos  do  not  visit  this  mountain  snice 
it  has  become  the  strong  tower  of  Buddhism,  yet  they  claim 
that  their  three  deities  once  made  their  homes  there. 

But  we  must  pass  to  the  ancient  caves  that  are  found  in 
this  part  of  the  country.  These  are  most  numerous  along 
the  banks  of  the  Tung  and  Su  Rivers,  and  they  are  also  found 
in  other  parts  of  the  country  on  the  sides  of  the  hills ;  but 
usually  they  are  dug  out  of  the  sandstone  rock  along  the 
rivers'  banks.  And  here  I  will  give  ■Mr.  Meares's  descrip- 
tion of  what  they  saw  in  the  caves  : — 

"  On  our  way  back  to  Chiating  we  stopped  for  a  few  days 
to  explore  the  caves  which  are  situated  near  the  road. 

"  We  took  up  our  quarters  in  a  little  Chinese  hut,  and  hardly 
had  we  settled  down  when  a  Chinese  pedlar  came  up  to  us 
and  said,  '  Do  you  remember  me  ?  I  am  the  man  who  had 
a  pain  in  the  night  in  the  inn  at  Fupien,'  and  he  was  very 
pleased  to  meet  us  again. 

"  In  the  rolling  hills  of  this  district  thousands  of  dwellings 
or  tombs  have  been  hewn  out  in  the  red  sandstone  chffs. 

"  All  these  caves  are  similar  in  plan,  but  differ  considerably 


The  Caves  of  West  China. 


in  size   and  ornamentation,   doubtless   in  proportion  to  the 
rank  and  wealth  of  the  owner.     Some  had  only  one  small 


■KKKA-COITA    PIGMIES. 


entrance  running  into  the  face  of  the  chff,  while  others  had 
large  verandahs  with  three  or  more  caves  opening  from  it. 

271 


Sporl  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

"  Let  us  take  as  an  example  one  of  these  large  caves. 

"  Some  distance  up  the  face  of  a  cliff  of  red  sandstone 
(on  the  face  of  which  some  hieroglyphics  may  still  be  seen), 
and  approachable  only  by  steps  cut  in  the  cliff,  large  enough 
to  hold  the  toe  of  the  foot,  a  large  cavern  has  been  hewn  out, 
evidently  with  the  help  of  a  metal  instrument,  as  the  marks 
are  still  sharp  and  clear. 

"  In  the  cliff  above  the  cavern  a  gutter  is  generally  cut  to 

shoot  off  the  rain  water,  and  sometimes  imaginary  animals  are 

cut  above  the  doors,  evidently  the  crest  of  the  owner.     This 

verandah  may  be  thirty  feet  long,  twelve  feet  wide  and  ten  feet 

high,  and  the  roof  is  supported  by  two  large  pillars  which 

had   been   left  when  the  rock  was  cut  away  ;    there    is  very 

often    a    large    cooking    place    between    these    pillars.     This 

verandah  is  cut  with  square  comers,  and  running  round  the 

top  there  is  always  a  pattern,  which  is  the  same  in  almost 

all  the  caves.     This  looks  very  much  as  if  it  were  built  in 

imitation  of  the  beams  of  a  house,  and  a  small  model  of  a 

dwelling  which  I  found  in  one  of  the  caves  had  similar  work 

on  it.     Above  the  central  door  on  both  sides  of  it  are  often 

carved  figures  of  deer  and  horses.     On  the  left  side  of  the 

verandah  a  small  cave  is  sometimes  cut,  evidently  for  a  dog, 

and  in  one  case  I  saw  a  carved  stone  dog  in  it.     Generally 

these  caves  open  from  the  main  verandah.     The  one  on  the 

right  is  usually  about  thirty  feet  long  and  straight,  and  was 

evidently    intended    for    servants  or  animals.      These  caves 

generally  had  an  outer  and  an  inner  doorway,  the  first  a  few 

feet  from  the  entrance,  the  second  about  twelve  feet  further  in. 

"  The  caves  were  about  six  feet  broad  and  six  feet  high,  and 

sloped  gently  upwards.     The  doors  were  solid  buttresses,  left 

when  the  caves  were  cut,  and  were  about  five  feet  six  inches 

high  by  four  feet  wide  ;   in  these  buttresses  were  grooves  to 

hold  doors,  and  sockets  and  grooves  to  hold  crossbars.     The 

two  larger  caves  had  two  or  three  similar  doors, 

272 


The  Caves  of  West   China. 

"  About  half-way  along  the  larger  caves  were  recesses 
cut  in  the  walls.  On  one  side  was  a  large  trough  cut  in  the 
solid  rock  and  evidently  used  for  holding  water.  A  small 
gutter  was  cut  round  it  to  carry  off  surplus  water  and  the 
edge  was  much  worn.  Below  it  was  a  shelf  for  holding  pots. 
In  some  of  these  troughs  were  round  stones  which  had  signs 


TIKF.TAN      INTERPRETER     COMING     OUT     OK     THE      CAVK     WHKKE 
riGMIES   WERE   OBTAINED. 


,RkA-COTTA 


of  being  constantly  heated  in  a  lire.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  cave  would  be  a  similar  cave,  covered  with  a  huge  monolith 
which  would  take  ten  men  to  move,  and  inside  some  of  these 
sarcophagi  were  coffins  made  of  one  piece  of  earthenware, 
with  tight-fitting  covers.  These  coffins  were  all  empty, 
except   for   a   little   mould.     Further   in   were   small   sockets 

(1 1243)  -73  T 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


near  the  roof,  which  had  evidently  bten  used  for  poles  to 
support  a  curtain,  and  past  this  the  cave  generally  opened 
out  into  one  or  two  recesses  large  enough  for  rooms  ;  these 
also  had  sockets  for  curtains. 

"  At  the  extreme  end  of  the  caves  was  a  small  shelf  two  and 
a-half  feet  from  the  floor,  and  two  or  three  small  cooking  places 
cut  out  of  the  sohd  rock  at  a  lower  level  beside  it.  Near  these 
cooking  places  were  the  remains  of  cooking  pots,  which  fitted 
the  fireplaces.  The  terra-cotta  figures  and  other  remains  were 
generally  found  on  the  floor  below  the  small  shelf,  or  in  the 
large  recess.  They  cannot  have  fallen  from  the  shelf,  or  they 
would  have  been  broken  into  a  thousand  pieces. 

"Some  of  the  caves  are  quite  open  and  visible;  others 
have  been  silted  up  by  wash  from  the  hills,  and  it  was  by 
digging  into  these  we  found  most  of  the  things,  while  others 
had  been  flooded  and  the  figures  were  buried  in  the  mud. 
Other  caves  had  small  openings  much  worn,  which  led  into 
further  caves  at  lower  levels,  and  one  could  emerge  again 
into  dayhght  some  distance  from  the  point  of  entrance  ; 
while  some  of  them  were  quite  dry,  and  the  figures  could  be 
seen  just  as  they  were  left  by  the  original  inhabitants.  In 
one  case  we  found  portions  of  a  life-sized  head  with  the  cheeks 
painted  red,  and  a  black  moustache  and  side  whiskers,  and, 
as  may  be  seen  from  the  photographs,  the  types  are  entirely 
different  from  the  Chinese  or  aborigines  of  the  present  time. 

"  The  modelhng  of  the  animals  is  much  more  artistic  and 
correct  than  any  modern  Chinese  work. 

"  As  we  were  pushed  for  time  we  could  only  spend  three 
days  exploring  the  caves  ;   so  much  still  remains  to  be  done. 

"  The  authorities  at  the  British  Museum  have  no  clue  as 
to  who  these  people  were,  but  as  some  of  the  things  are 
almost  identical  with  objects  found  in  the  ancient  Japanese 
dolmans,  it  is  possible  that  these  people  emigrated  to  Japan 
at  some  remote  period." 

274 


CHAPTER   XX. 

Chiating  to  Ningyuenfu. 

After  finishing  their  investigations  in  the  caves  our  friends 
travelled  north-west  along  the  border  of  the  Ya  to  Yacliowfn. 
The  Ya  is  a  very  shallow  and  fast-flowing  river,  and  on  this 
account  the  Chinese  have  constructed  some  very  ingenious 
rafts  by  which  they  navigate  it,  and  carry  on  them  quite 
large  cargoes,  both  up  the  river  and  down  as  far  as  Yachowfu. 
These  rafts  are  made  of  giant  bamboos,  which  are  from  four  to 
six  inches  in  diameter  at  the  thick  end.  They  taper  off  very 
gradually,  and  some  of  these  poles  reach  a  length  of  seventy  to 
eighty  feet.  The  bamboos  are  lashed  together  side  by  side; 
each  pole  is  heated  and  turned  up  in  front,  and  when  the 
rafts  are  completed  they  look  like  giant  Canadian  toboggans, 
being  about  eighty  feet  long  by  lif::een  feet  broad. 

As  these  bamboos  are  hollow  and  full  of  air,  a  raft  will 
carry  several  thousand  pounds,  and  only  draw  a  few  inches  of 
water.  They  are  quite  flexible,  and  glide  over  the  rapids  and 
even  over  shallows  without  injury. 

The  principal  traffic  on  the  down  journey  is  wool,  hides 
and  deer  horns,  which  find  their  way  from  Tibet:  also  iron, 
copper,  lead  and  coal,  all  of  which  are  mined  in  considt>rablo 
quantities  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Yachow,  and  beyond. 

When  returning,  they  carry  wine,  sugar,  cotton  and  jMcce- 
goods,  which  are  the  chief  articles  of  import. 

For  anyone  who  is  fond  of  duck  shooting,  a    gooJ   plan  is 
to  go  to  the  Yachow  and  there  hire  a  raft  to  Chiating.      These 
rafts  are  not  the  most  comfortable  looking  crafts,  as  the  only 
(11243)  ^75  '  - 


Sport  and   Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


shelter  afforded  is  a  bamboo  mat  hut,  usually  erected   near 
the  centre  of  the  raft.     A  few  boards  are  elevated    about  a 


RAFT   ON    THE   YA    RIVER    ON"     \VHICH     MR.     BROOKE   AND    MR.    MEAKES 
TOL'RNEYED. 


foot  above  the  bamboo  to  keep  one"s  feet  out  of  the  water, 
though  in  crossing  some  of  the  rapids  the  spray  will  still  insist 
on  coming  through.     Yet  even   ordinary  passengers,  who  are 

276 


Chiatiiig  to   Nins^yuenfu. 

in  a  hurry  to  reach  Chiating  or  some  other  port  down  the 
stream,  do  not  hesitate  to  take  passages  on  these  rafts,  and 
even  the  missionary  ladies  often  take  advantage  of  this  quick 
and  easy  mode  of  travel ;  so  that  the  sportsman  who  is  anxious 
to  see  thousands  of  mallard,  widgeon,  divers  and  almost  all 
kinds  of  water  fowl  within  close  range,  will  not  mind  a  wet 
foot,  or  even  being  dumped  overboard,  if  he  can  secure  85 
to  100  duck  during  the  trip  of  a  day  and  a-half . 

I  know  of  one  cool-headed  missionary,  who  had  taken 
passage  on  one  of  these  giant  toboggans,  and  was  standing 
outside  drinking  a  cup  of  coffee  when  the  raft  gave  a  lurch, 
a  swirl,  and  he  was  sent  overboard  to  partake  of  a  cold  bath. 
But  managing  to  catch  hold  of  the  raft  with  one  hand  and 
keep  his  head  above  water— for  it  was  in  a  place  where  the 
water  was  deep,  just  below  a  rapid — he  contrived  to  hold  on 
to  his  cup  of  coffee  in  the  other  hand,  and,  when  helped  on  to 
the  raft  again,  continued  sipping  his  coffee  as  though  nothing 
had  happened. 

All  along  the  river  fishermen  may  be  seen  at  work  with 
cormorants.  They  also  fish  with  nets,  and  frequently  catch 
the  giant  salamander,  a  huge  newt,  which  often  reaches  a 
length  of  ten  feet,  and  weighs  from  60  to  100  lbs. 

A  peculiar  fish,  called  by  the  Chinese  wa-wa-u  ("childfish") 
is  sometimes  secured  near  Yachow.  It  is  reported  to  have 
arms,  and  to  come  out  on  sunny  days  and  lie  on  the  rocks 
in  the  middle  of  the  stream  sunning  itself.  I  heard  of  this 
fish  first  in  the  autumn  of  1902,  but  thinking  it  was  only  a 
Chinese  tale,  paid  but  little  attention  to  it.  My  boy,  who 
was  with  Messrs.  Brooke  and  Meares  as  interpreter,  mentioned 
it  to  them,  and  they  tried  to  secure  one  but  were  not  successful. 
They  spoke  of  it  to  Mr.  Openshaw,  the  American  missionary 
at  Yachow,  who,  though  he  had  lived  there  for  many  years, 
had  never  heard  of  the  "  childfish."  His  cook,  however, 
being  consulted,   declared   that   there    was   such    a   lish    and 

277 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

bought  one  next  day  in  the  market.  Mr.  Qpenshaw  put  it 
in  alcohol ;  I  have  not  heard  what  became  of  this  specimen, 
and  was  not  fortunate  enough  to  see  one  myself. 

Yachow  is  a  busy  thriving  town,  beautifull}^  situated  on 
the  banks  of  the  Ya,  and  hemmed  in  by  high  mountains  on 
three  sides. 

It  is  a  great  centre  of  the  Tibetan  tea  industry.  Tea  grows 
on  all  the  mountains  in  the  neighbourhood  and  is  carried 
by  coolies  into  Yachow,  where  it  is  dried,  prepared  and  packed 
in  long  bamboo  baskets  for  the  Tibetan  market. 

While  at  Yachow  our  friends  engaged  a  raft  and  started 
out  on  a  duck  hunt.  It  was  a  lovely  morning  and  the  raft 
floated  quickly  down  the  river.  Ducks  were  not  very  plentiful 
near  the  city,  but  they  picked  up  quite  a  number.  At  one 
place  they  shot  two  teal,  one  of  which  was  only  wounded 
and  floated  down  in  mid-stream.  The  raftsmen  rowed  hard, 
endeavouring  to  overtake  it  before  it  reached  an  island  which 
divided  the  river.  They  got  near  enough  to  get  another 
shot  at  the  teal,  but  it  was  too  late  to  pull  out  of  the  cataract. 
A  terrible  current  was  whirling  them  into  its  fierce  jaws, 
the  waters  leaped  over  the  rapid  and  piled  up  against,  the 
rocky  banks.  Just  below  and  in  their  course,  great  black, 
jagged  spikes  split  the  green  waters  into  rushing,  tearing 
streams  of  white  foam.  The  raftsmen  were  frightened,  but 
did  not  lose  their  heads.  The  raft  shot  over  the  rapid  like  an 
arrow.  The  men  at  the  bow  and  stern  oars  now  began  rowing 
furiously,  swerving  the  bow  of  the  raft  up  into  slack  water,  so 
that  the  stern  swung  round,  just  shaving  the  rocks.  They 
swept  stern-first  for  a  few  seconds  and  again  the  raft  swung 
round,  before  they  took  the  final  plunge,  bow  on.  The  waves 
splashed  up  to  their  waists,  and  the  raft  wriggled  over  the 
sunken  boulders  like  a  snake. 

They  continued  down  the  river  for  about  ten  miles,  then 
walked  back  to  Yachow.     On  the  way  they  came  across  some 

278 


Chiatlng-  to   Ningyuenfu. 


snipe  near  a  village,  and  after  shooting  several,  the  villagers 
collected  in  hundreds  to  watch  the  sport,  and   as  it  was  im- 


liKiNGiNt;  KAW   ii;a  to  ke  packkd  at  yachow. 


possible  to  convince  them  that  .what  hurt  snipe  would  also 
hurt  them,  the  sportsmen  had  to  give  it  up  and  return  to 
Yachow. 

279 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes, 

They  continued  their  journey  towards  Ningyuenfu,  but 
before  they  had  gone  very  far  it  began  to  rain  and  so  continued 
all  day.  The  continuous  line  of  coolies  marching  along  this 
road  soon  tramped  it  into  thin  mortar,  and  the  round 
boulders,  with  which  it  was  paved,  were  so  slippery  that  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  keep  one's  feet.  Hundreds  of  coolies 
were  passed,  staggering  under  their  heavy  burdens  of  iron, 
lead,  copper,  fuller's  earth,  coal  and  raw  tea,  all  of  them 
obtained  from  the  surrounding  mountains. 

It  was  difficult  enough  to  tramp  this  road  in  dry  weather 
with  such  loads  as  these  men  carry,  but  with  the  road  in  this 
condition  it  is  quite  dangerous,  and  even  as  much  as  an 
ordinary  pedestrian  empty-handed  can  do  to  travel  on.  In 
places  there  were  pools  of  blood,  sho\\dng  where  some  un- 
fortunate wretch  had  fallen  under  his  burden  and  cut  himself 
on  the  sharp  stones. 

Along  this  road  there  are  wayside  inns  every  tw^o  or  three 
miles  for  the  accommodation  of  the  tea  coolies,  who  only 
travel  from  seven  to  ten  miles  per  day.  This  road  has  been 
recently  repaired  for  Chaoerhfung's  troops  and  supplies  to 
pass  over,  but  in  rainy  weather  the  fresh  clay  that  had  been 
placed  to  fill  in  the  holes  between  the  boulders  only  added 
to  the  difficulty  of  travelling  it. 

The  second  day  they  reached  the  foot  of  Tahsiangling, 
and  stopped  for  the  night  at  Huangnipu,  a  street  with  about 
100  families,  where  travellers  generally  rest  before  ascending 
the  mountains,  as  the  accommodation  at  the  inns  on  the  way 
up  is  very  poor  indeed. 

Half-way  up  the  mountain  they  found  it  covered  with  snow 
and  the  path  very  slippery,  being  coated  with  ice  ;  so, 
strapping  iron  plates  with  sharp  spikes  on  the  soles  of  their 
boots,  they  struggled  on  through  the  bitterly  cold  wind  that 
was  blowing,  and  were  rewarded  on  reaching  the  top  by  a 
magnificent  view  of  the  Tibetan  mountains,  which  from  this- 

280 


Chiating  to  NIngyuenfu. 


pass  opens  out  before  the  eyes  of  the  traveller  if  it  happens 
to  be  fine  weather  when  the  top  is  reached. 

On  the  east  slope  of  the  mountain  it  is  nearly  always  raining 
or  snowing  and  the  fohage  is  very  dense.  Near  the  top  vegeta- 
tion almost  ceases,  except  for  a  very  coarse  grass  found  on  the 
slopes.  On  looking  westward  there  is  scarcely  a  tree  to  be 
seen.  The  view  that  opens  before  the  observer  is  expansive. 
The  cliffs  are  composed  of  red  sandstone,  and  even  the  cul- 
tivated fields  have  a  reddish  tint  as  far  as  the  eye  can  see. 

Away  in  the  distance,  contrasted  in  the  blue  horizon,  the 
white-tipped  mountains  and  the  eternal  snows  of  Tibet  fill  in 
the  background. 

The  west  side  of  Tahsianghng  is  covered  with  a  coarse  grass, 
intermingled  with  jagged  chffs  and  deep  cut  gullies,  through 
which  small  streamlets  trickle. 

Passing  down  from  the  summit  the  first  two  miles  are  quite 
gradual,  but  beyond  that  the  descent  is  very  steep,  and  after 
a  drop  of  3,400  feet,  the  travellers  found  themselves  in  the 
little  town  of  Chingchihsien. 

This  is  a  most  insignificant  httle  town,  nestling  near  the  foot 
of  the  mountain,  and  the  only  thing  that  it  is  noted  for  is  its 
place  at  the  junction  of  the  Ningyuen  and  Tachienlu  roads, 
though  most  of  the  Tachienlu  traffic  does  not  come  into  the 
city,  but  takes  a  short  cut  across  the  mountain,  thus  lessening 
the  distance  by  about  three  miles  of  rough  road. 

All  the  way  up  the  pass  they  overtook  hundreds  of  coolies 
wending  their  way  slowly  up  the  mountain,  laden  with  great 
loads  of  tea.  Fourteen  bundles  is  about  the  ordinary  load, 
and  each  bundle  weighs  from  14  to  18  catties,  and,  if  we  take 
16  catties  as  the  average  weight  of  a  bundle,  we  find  that 
each  load  will  weigh  224  catties  (or  298  lbs.).  On  some  loads 
I  have  seen  eighteen  packets,  which  would  be  equal  to  384  lbs., 
and  it  is  a  common  thing  to  see  boys  of  from  fourteen  to  eighteen 
years  and  sometimes  girls,  too,  carrying  loads  of  150  lbs.,  toiling 

28 1 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

wearily  up  the  pass.  These  loads  are  carried  all  the  way  to 
Tachienlu,  a  distance  of  not  more  than  sixty  miles  as  the  crow 
flies,  but  quite  140  miles  by  the  main  road,  which  also 
makes  a  V  on  the  map,  and  passes  over  two  high  mountains, 
both  of  them  approaching  10,000  feet.     Near  the  top  they 


CARRYING 


i\KK       IHE     DAII^IWGIIN      1' \^^      I  Ok       I  ill 
WEIGHT   CARRIED    200    lO   4OO    TOUM)-,    n.R    HEAD. 


IRADE;     AVERAG 


met  coolies  with  loads  of  parrots  on  frames,  and  others  with 
packs  of  hunting  dogs,  coming  from  the  Ningyuenfu  Valley. 
The  parrots  were  on  their  way  to  Chentu,  and  other  cities  in 
Szechwan,  where  there  is  a  good  market  for  them,  and  the 
dogs  are  for  the  Wassu  and  Muping  hunters. 

These  little  hunting  terriers  are  bred  by  the  Lolos,  and  a 
282 


Chiating  to  Ningyuenfu. 


good  one  brings  a  very  handsome  price  for  China.  I  have 
known  one  to  sell  for  as  much  as  three  guineas. 

All  the  way  up  on  the  slope  to  the  south-east  of  the  town 
and  about  half-a-mile  distant,  is  the  old  site  of  the  Lolo 
capit  d.  Nothing  is  now  left  to  mark  the  place  but  a  few 
trees  and  some  stone  heaps.  Few  of  the  inhabitants  even 
know  that  it  was  once  a  Lolo  stronghold.  At  the  present 
time  there  are  no  Lolos  located  north  of  the  Tung  River,  at 
least  not  in  the  Chingchi  Valley. 

From  Cliingchihsien  the  road  runs  south  through  a  fertile 
valley  well  irrigated  from  the  numerous  streams  that  rush 
down  the  mountain  sides.  Fruit  of  all  kinds  is  plentiful, 
and  oranges  and  pears  are  a  speciality.  Rice  is  grown  on  the 
terraced  plots  in  the  valleys,  and  other  cereals,  such  as  peas, 
wheat,  barley,  oats  and  buckwheat,  are  grown  on  the  slopes ; 
but  the  whole  aspect  of  the  country  is  most  barren,  especially 
in  the  winter  months ;  not  a  tree  adorns  the  hillsides,  except 
for  an  occasional  willow  grown  by  the  side  of  an  irrigation 
ditch,  or  near  some  of  the  villages,  where  they  have  been 
planted  and  cared  for  by  individuals. 

The  demarkation  of  the  natural  vegetation  and  tree  pro- 
ducing country  is  noticeable.  On  the  west  side  of  the  pass 
it  is  sunshine  for  most  of  the  year,  but  the  prospect  is  bleak 
and  barren,  with  scarcely  a  tree  to  adorn  the  hillsides,  while 
just  a  few  miles  to  the  east  the  sun  is  only  seen  for  a  few  weeks 
in  the  year,  nothing  but  rain  and  mist  all  the  time  ;  and  there 
are  places  where  the  dividing  line  is  quite  abrupt,  and  a  few 
paces  will  carry  one  from  the  rank  foliage  and  mist,  into  the 
treeless  grass  lands  and  bright  sunshine. 

They  spent  the  night  at  Fuling  and  the  next  morning  crossed 
the  Tung  at  the  Tatu,  or  great  ferry,  from  which  this  reach 
of  the  river  derives  its  name  of  Tatuho  (a  great  ferry  river). 
It  was  on  the  banks  of  this  river,  and  only  a  few  miles  further 
up  that  that  Shih  Takai,  the  leader  of  the  Taiping  rebellion 

283 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

was  defeated  and  7,000  or  8,000  of  his  followers  were  killed 
on  the  field,  while  he  and  a  few  hundred  of  his  men  w^ere 
captured. 

The  credit  of  crushing  this  conquering  army  that  was 
devastating  China  and  defeating  the  Imperial  troops  at  every 
point  of  contact  is  due  to  the  united  efforts  of  the  Lolo  and 
Sifan  tribes,  who  know  their  country,  and  knew  how  to  beguile 
their  enemies  into  a  position,  where  there  was  no  possible 
way  of  escape.  When  the  rebel  army  was  in  the  deep  ravine 
which  leads  to  the  ferry  at  Tzetati,  the  Lolo  and  Sifan  tribes 
surrounded  them,  and  by  cutting  off  the  supphes  of  this  great 
army,  soon  reduced  them  to  the  point  of  starvation.  So 
steep  were  the  sides  of  this  gorge  into  which  they  were  penned, 
that  it  enabled  the  Lolos  to  roll  down  stones  and  tree  trunks 
and  pour  poisonous  arrows  on  a  penned-up,  helpless  mass 
of  humanity.  Though  the  Chinese  General  took  much  credit 
to  himself  for  this  crushing  victory,  he  did  little  more  than 
stand  with  his  men  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Tung,  and 
destroy  any  raft  or  craft  that  was  unfortunate  enough  to 
reach  that  bank.  It  was  the  Lolos  and  Sifans  that  surrounded 
them  and  drove  them  to  their  doom. 

On  crossing  the  ferr^^  of  Tatu,  the  traveller  plunges  into 
a  narrow  glen  between  two  treeless  hills.  The  valley  is  full 
of  great  boulders,  washed  down  from  the  mountain  side  by  the 
freshets,  and  among  these  the  road  winds  about  in  its  zigzag 
course  up  the  mountain. 

The  fields  and  hillsides  were  cultivated  even  on  the  steep  slopes, 
but  the  grain  was  all  harvested,  and  the  aspect  was  very  bleak. 

After  chmbing  to  a  height  of  2,000  feet  above  the  Tung, 
in  a  distance  of  four  miles,  the  road  immediately  drops  1,000 
feet,  zigzagging  its  way  down  the  steep  mountain  side  until 
it  reaches  a  mountain  torrent,  which  disappears  into  a  wild 
gorge  to  the  west,  cutting  its  way  through  limestone  rock 
and  joining  the  Tung  about  ten  miles  above  the  ferry. 

284 


Chiating  to  Ningyuenfu. 


The  road  follows  up  the  left  bank  of  this  stream.  A  few 
ricefields  are  seen  near  the  river's  edge,  and  a  little  cultiva- 
tion on  the  hillsides,  but  there  does  not  appear  to  be  much 
to  attract  the  farmer,  yet  all  along  the  stream  watermills 
are  kept  turning,  which  shows  there  must  be  grain  to  grind. 

The  mill  wheel  lies  horizontally,  and  the  water  is  admitted 
by  a  small  water  race  and  strikes  the  fans  of  the  wheel  which 


r.AMHOO    RAK 


offers  its  face  to  the  current.  The  millstone  is  attached  to 
the  other  end  of  the  wooden  shaft,  and  revolves  on  the  same 
axis  as  the  water  wheel.  The  road  continues  on  through  the 
valley,  and  is  made  dangerous  by  falHng  rocks,  which  come 
rolling  down  from  the  heights,  when  loosened  b\^  the  rain, 
or  on  the  slightest  other  provocation.  Often  one  of  these 
boulders    como    rolling    down    the   steep   mountain    side    and 

2S; 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


pass  through  a  caravan  of  mules,  picking  one  or  two  out  of 
the  pack,  passing  on  as  though  it  had  met  with  no  obstruction 
until  it  lands  in  the  torrent  bed  far  beneath  the  road  or  path. 
After  passing  the  village  of  Tawan  (great  turn)  the  mountains 
close  in  upon  the  stream  leaving  barely  sufficient  space  for 
a  narrow  path.  In  places  the  rock  actually  overhangs  the 
road  so  that  one  lias  to  bow  the  head  if  riding,  in  order  not 
to  be  pulled  off.  The  cliffs  rise  to  a  height  of  about  200  feet, 
almost  perpendicular  or  slightly  overhanging,  then  fall  away 
and  continue  to  rise  to  the  height  of  1,000  feet.  Wild  tales 
are  told  of  the  attacks  on  caravans  and  lonely  travellers  by 
the  Lolos  in  this  gorge,  and  the  place  is  certainly  weird  enough 
to  make  one  feel  that  an  enemy  might  be  lurking  anywhere 
along  the  march. 

The  stories  told  me  by  my  escort,  when  I  travelled  through 
this  wild  place,  were  enough  to  make  the  hair  stand  on  a  timid 
man's  head,  but  I  saw  no  one  more  ugly  than  my  informants 
and  certainh'  none  that  looked  more  like  outlaws,  for  the 
escort  that  was  given  me  at  Chingchihsien  contained  the 
most  dilapidated  specimens  I  have  seen  for  a  long  time. 
However,  as  my  journey  was  three  weeks  later,  Brooke  and 
Meares  might  have  had  a  better  lot. 

On  emerging  from  the  gorge  a  plateau  is  entered,  the  highest 
point  of  which  is  the  watershed,  7,200  feet,  lying  between 
the  Tung  and  a  small  river,  locally  called  Nga  Rung,  which 
is  a  Tibetan  name.  This  river  rises  in  the  Siao  Hsiang- 
ling,  flows  past  Yueh  Hsiting,  and  enters  a  gorge  which 
opens  out  of  the  Yueh  Hsi  valley  from  where  it  flows  in 
a  north-easterly  direction  until  it  enters  tlie  Tung.  It 
forms  the  border  between  independent  Lololand  and  the 
semi-Chinese  Lolo  country  through  which  the  high  road 
])asses. 

Along  the  road  there  is  a  mixed  population  of  Lolos,  Tibetans 
and  Chinese.     Most  of  the  black-blood  Lolos  have  left  their 

2S6 


Chiating  to  Ningyuenfu. 


former  estates  this  side  of  the  Ngariing  River  to  their  serfs, 
who  have  become  Chinese  subjects.  These  semi-subjected 
Lolos  have  a  nominal  chief,  who  is  supposed  to  be  a  pure 
black  blood,  but  he  is  not  recognised  by  the  chiefs  in  inde- 
pendent Lololand,  and  he  really  holds  his  position  by  appoint- 
ment from  the  Chinese  Government. 

All  along  the  road  the  Chinese  have  established  block- 
houses, which  are  guarded  by  militia  composed  both  of  Chinese 
and  subjected  Lolos,  but  in  spite  of  these  guards,  robberies 
are  committed  frequently  along  the  main  trade  routes,  and  it 
is  not  safe  to  be  out  after  nightfall. 

Two  days'  march  over  this  plateau  brings  the  traveller 
to  the  valley  of  Yueh  Hsi,  in  which  is  the  Chinese  city  of 
Yueh  Hsiting,  quite  an  important  centre,  as  from  this  place 
a  large  section  of  country  is  governed. 

In  a  kind  of  prison  or  hostel  in  connection  with  the  Yamen 
are  to  be  seen  a  number  of  hostages  who  may  be  seen  also 
in  our  photographs.  These  hostages  come  from  various  parts 
along  the  border,  and  are  representative  leaders  or  chiefs, 
who  take  turns  of  imprisonment  to  go  pledge  for  the  good 
conduct  of  their  tribes.  These  chiefs  are  paid  a  nominal  sum 
by  the  Chinese  Government  for  thus  serving  a  period  in 
durance,  and  after  serving  a  term  of  three  months  they  are 
allowed  to  be  relieved  by  other  representative  men  of  their 
tribes.  This  is  the  only  hold  the  Chinese  have  on  the  tribes 
from  the  interior  of  Lololand. 

After  leaving  Yueh  Hsi  the  road  continues  up  the  left  bank 
of  the  stream  and  leads  over  the  Siao  Hsiangling  with  a  ver}- 
steep  ascent.  Every  five  li  (or  mile  and  a  quarter)  there  is  a 
guard  house,  and  two  or  three  soldiers  escort  the  foreigner 
from  post  to  post.  The  road  over  the  pass  runs  through 
very  wild  country,  and  it  would  be  an  easy  matter  for  the 
Lolos  to  surprise  travellers  if  it  were  not  for  the  sharp  look-out 
kept  by  the  scouts  posted  all  along  the  road.     Even  in  spite 

(1 1243)  2S9  I- 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

of  this  vigilance,  parties  are  often  surprised  and  individuals 
carried  off  to  be  sold  as  slaves. 

The  day  I  came  over  I  was  benighted  near  the  top,  my 
coolies  made  such  slow  time  ascending  the  mountain. 

When  I  arrived  at  Chupanying  where  there  was  a  centurion 
stationed  in  charge  of  lOO  soldiers,  he  insisted  that  I  should 
stop  the  night  with  him,  as  it  was  impossible  to  do  the  five 
miles  that  separated  us  from  the  usual  stopping  place.  He 
lived  in  a  tiny  httle  guard  house,  but  quite  comfortably. 
Just  as  we  were  sitting  down  to  supper,  which  he  provided, 
there  was  a  great  shout  which  rang  through  the  mountains, 
then  three  shots  were  fired.  At  this  time  there  were  only 
five  men  in  camp,  the  rest  were  posted  on  duty  along  the 
road.  In  a  moment  all  five  were  armed  with  their  Mausers 
and  fixed  bayonets,  and  a  cartridge  belt  buckled  round  their 
waist.  They  rushed  out  into  the  darkness,  and  Mr.  Li,  the 
centurion,  seized  his  broad  sword  and  went  with  them.  I 
wanted  to  join,  but  to  this  he  would  not  consent,  and  warned 
me  that  I  must  remain  inside. 

Calls  were  exchanged  all  along  the  line,  and  word  arrived 
that  it  was  only  a  false  alarm  given  by  one  of  the  pickets 
near  the  top  of  the  pass.  However,  night  and  day  they  are 
kept  on  the  alert  during  the  winter  months,  for  it  is  in  the 
winter  when  the  Lolos  are  not  busy  in  their  fields  that  they 
do  most  of  their  pillaging. 

All  the  way  to  Loku  a  good  number  of  Lolos  are  to  be 
seen  along  the  road,  but  they  are  friendly  and  are  either 
bringing  faggots  to  the  small  towns  and  military  camps,  or  are 
returning  empty  after  delivering  their  burdens. 

Just  before  reaching  Loku,  the  road  leads  through  the 
famous  gorge  where  the  Taiping  robbers  were  blocked  and 
forced  to  turn  up  the  jNIienning  Valley,  and  so  were  trapped 
to  their  doom. 

The  road  is  cut  out  of  the  side  of  the  rock  and  is  just  wide 
290 


Chiatinii-  to  Nin'>vucnfu. 


enough  for  two  animals  to  pass.  A  block  house  is  placed 
at  a  commanding  point,  great  doors  are  momited  so  that 
it  is  impossible  to  pass  up  or  down  when  these  are  closed, 
and  a  very  small  force  could  defend  the  position. 

From  Loku  the  road  runs  down  the  left  bank  of  the  Anning 
River  through  a  fertile  valley  inhabited  by  the  Chinese. 


lAWKING    I'AKROTS    FROM    THE   NINGYUENI'U    VALLEY   TO   CIIKNTU  ;     l-HOTOGRAPH    TAKEN 
ON    VASHINGLIX,    I0,000   I-EEl"   ABONE   SEA-LEVEL. 


The  climate  is  ideal,  but  the  unfortunate  people  always 
have  the  fear  of  being  surprised  some  night  by  their  Lolo 
neighbours. 

Ningyuenfu  is  a  snug  little  town  built  on  the  side  of  a 
beautiful  lake,  the  outlet  of  which  runs  into  the  Anning 
River. 

The  city  has  quite  a  history,  but  no  records  are  to  be  found 
(1 1243)  291  I'  2 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

in  the  archives  of  the  Yamen  there  ;  they  have  all  been  sent 
to  Yachow  and  Chentu  for  safe  keeping.  The  present  city  wall 
is  only  eighty  years  old.  The  old  city  having  been  destroyed 
b}^  an  earthquake,  a  report  has  it  that  it  stood  where  the 
present  lake  now  is. 

That  there  was  a  terrific  shaking  here  is  quite  evident  from 
the  huge  clyptomeria  trees  that  are  still  being  dug  out  of  the 
mountain  sides,  where  they  have  been  buried  for  a  loo  years  at 
least.  Some  of  these  trees  are  three  and  four  feet  in  diameter, 
and  a  coffin  made  from  a  good  tree  is  worth  from  300  to  500 
taels  (or  from  £40  to  £60),  which  is  a  lot  of  money  to  a  China- 
man, and  of  course  only  the  wealthy  families  can  afford  it. 

The  country  at  the  present  time  is  very  bleak,  and  only 
near  the  waterways  or  on  an  occasional  hill  small  trees  are 
to  be  found,  and  there  is  very  little  shrubber\^  about.  Fuel 
is  very  expensive,  as  it  has  to  be  carried  a  long  way. 

On  arriving  at  Ningyuenfu  Messrs.  Brooke  and  Meares  had 
■some  difficulty  in  finding  a  respectable  inn,  but  they  met  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Rudd,  an  American  missionary,  who  invited  them 
to  the  Mission  Station.  The  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wehwood, 
who  were  then  in  charge  of  the  station  and  of  the  work  in 
the  district,  were  away  at  the  time  visiting  out-stations,  but 
Mr,  Rudd  made  it  very  pleasant  for  our  travellers. 

Some  days  were  spent  in  exploring  the  lake  and  city  and  in 
trying  to  find  out  something  about  the  Lolos  before  Mr.  Brooke 
undertook  his  last — and  fatal — journey. 


292 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Independent  Lololand, 

Strange  to  say,  almost  in  the  heart  of  the  great  province 
of  Sechwan  hes  a  small  section  of  country  some  70  miles 
wide  by  120  miles  long,  which  is  probably  one  of  the  few 
remaining  tracks  of  country  which  still  retains  its  indepen- 
dence and  is  still  unexplored — even  the  latest  intelligence 
maps  mark  it  a  blank. 

Little  is  known  about  it  except  that  a  great  mountain 
range  runs  through  it  from  north  to  south,  cutting  it  almost 
in  two  halves  The  Chinese  border  towns  on  the  west  are 
HuiU  Chow,  Ningyuenfu,  Lichow,  Loku,  ]Mienshan,  and  Yueh 
Hsi ;  on  the  north  Opien  Ting  ;  on  the  east  Mapien  Ting 
and  Luijio  ;   and  on  the  south  by  the  Yangtze  River. 

The  Nosu — i.e.,  black  bloods — who  are  better  known  by 
the  Chinese  name  Lolo,  are  a  fierce  warlike  people  who  claim 
to  have  in  their  veins  the  blue— locally,  black— blood,  which 
their  name  indicates.  Their  forefathers  came  from  Hunan 
and  played  no  small  part  in  the  early  history  of  the  Chinese 
Empire.  They  have,  however,  been  gradually  surrounded 
and  hemmed  in  by  the  Chinese,  until  nowadays  we  find  them 
confined  to  the  track  of  country  above  mentioned. 

Although  thus  surrounded  they  prove  a  veritable  thorn 
in  the  flesh  to  the  Chinese  who  have  to  five  near  them,  as 
well  as  to  the  Chinese  Government,  and  they  have  been  the 
means  of  disgracing  more  officials  and  showing  up  the  weak- 
ness and  rottenness  of  Chinese  officialdom  more  than  all  the 
Censors  in  the  kingdom. 

293 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

The  Chinese  attempts  to  subdue  the  Lolos,  especially 
during  the  last  twenty  years,  have  been  a  farce  ;  there  has  been 
no  organised  plan,  no  united  effort.  True,  officials  have 
been  appointed  to  the  task ;  much  money  has  been  squan- 
dered, and  many  lives  lost,  but  every  attempt  has  been  an 
utter  failure,  its  only  result  to  line  pockets  of  officials  in  charge 
of  the  operations,  to  discourage  the  Chinese  Militia,  and  to 
encourage  the  Lolos  in  their  raiding  and  insubordination. 


[.OLO  CHIEF  S   HOSTAGES. 


To  explain  all  this  I  will  give  a  rough  idea  of  how  these 
Chinese  expeditions  are  conducted. 

In  the  first  place  the  Chinese  Government  sends  in  officials 
who  know  nothing  about  the  Lolos  or  their  comitr}^  ;  after 
all  these  years  of  warfare  they  have  not  even  a  map.  The 
orders  are  to  subdue  these  disturbers  of  the  peace.  The 
official  takes  over  his  seal,  collects  the  Militia,  consisting  of 
local  farmers  who  have  to  supply  their  own  weapons,  which 

294 


Independent  Lololand. 


consist  of  antiquated  muzzle-loading  fuse  guns,  bamboo 
poles  with  iron  heads  which  they  call  lances,  and  old  swords 
covered  with  the  rust  of  years.  With  these  untrained  men 
and  useless  weapons  he  marches  against  the  Lolos,  to  beard 
the  lion  in  his  den. 

The  Lolos,  who  are  as  well  or  better  armed,  have  the  ad- 
vantage of  knowing  their  country.  Their  very  existence 
depends  on  their  defence  of  the  small  track  of  territory  which 
they  call  their  own,  and  in  defence  of  it  they  are  prepared 
to  fight  to  the  death.  Their  motto  is,  "  The  man  who  is 
afraid  to  die  for  his  country  is  not  fit  to  live."  The  Chinese 
motto  is,  "  He  who  fights .  and  runs  away  may  live  to 
light  another  day "  ;  and  John  prays  to  the  gods  that 
there  may  be  a  way  of  escape  when  the  time  conies  for  him 
to  run. 

Take,  for  example,  the  latest  Chinese  expedition  against 
the  Lolos.  During  last  winter  tlie  Lolos  had  become  more 
and  more  daring  in  their  raids  and  capped  their  outrages 
by  attacking  a  village,  carrying  off  some  300  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, leaving  only  the  very  old  and  helpless  ones,  many  of 
whom  they  slew  in  their  homes. 

The  Chinese  officials  thought  that  something  must  be  done, 
so  they  treated  with  the  Lolos  to  try  and  ransom  the 
prisoners  ;  but  they  did  not  want  to  spend  too  much  money, 
and,  as  the  Lolos  asked  a  large  price  for  the  young  and  strong 
captives,  the  officials  only  bought  back  some  of  the  old  ones, 
who  were  cheap,  and  left  the  others  to  their  fate.  This  did 
not  satisfy  the  friends  of  the  captives.  Representations 
were  made  to  Chentu,  and  the  officials  were  recalled  and 
new  ones  sent  to  take  their  place.  They  arrived  at  Ning- 
yuenfu  in  July,  1908,  and  by  the  Ninth  INIoon  had  made  pre- 
parations to  chastise  the  unruly  brigands. 

This  time,  the  (icncral,  a  very  fair  officer  as  they  go  in 
China,  asked  for  foreign  drilled  soldiers  and  modern  rifles  ; 

295 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

so  they  sent  him  400  foreign  drilled  soldiers.  Modem  rifles 
are  valuable  and  cannot  be  risked  in  warfare,  so  he  was  com- 
pelled to  make  up  the  balance  of  his  force  with  3,000  farmer 
Mihtia. 

The  force  collected  at  Ningyuenfu,  but  before  going  to  the 
front  they  had  to  christen  the  flag.  The  day  for  this  great 
event  was  fixed,  and  an  unfortunate  hostage  from  the  district 
in  which  the  war  was  to  be  waged,  was  led  down  to  the  parade 
ground,  where  hundreds  of  spectators  and  the  army  of  3,400 
men  were  assembled. 

The  victim  was  tied  down  to  a  bench  and  a  bucket  being 
placed  to  catch  the  blood,  his  .throat  was  then  cut  from  ear 
to  ear  in  the  same  way  as  men  kill  a  sheep. 

The  flags  were  then  dipped  in  the  blood,  and  the  heart 
and  liver  were  taken  home  and  cooked  and  eaten  by  some 
of  the  soldiers  to  give  them  courage. 

When  their  courage  had  been  thoroughly  aroused  the 
whole  army  marched  out  bravely  to  Tasin  Chang,  about 
ten  ni'les  from  Ningyuenfu.  They  presented  a  brave  and  for- 
midable appearance,  as  there  were  no  Lolos  in  sight. 

The  Taotai  and  Colonel  thought  that  Tasin  Chang  would 
be  a  good  place  to  make  their  headquarters,  as  there  is  a  good 
inn  and  200  Chinese  famihes,  and  they  could  buy  vegetables 
and  meat  there,  and  make  themselves  fairly  comfortable. 
The  soldiers  were  sent  to  the  front  and  after  some  weeks  of 
hard  marching  had  advanced  twenty  miles. 

They  were  3,400  strong,  and  had  a  Gatling  gun  besides, 
so  they  felt  very  brave  as  they  had  as  yet  seen  none  of  the 
enemy,  and  had  been  marching  on  a  good  road. 

They  had  now  been  some  time  in  the  interior,  and  had 
no  heads  to  send  out  to  their  superiors  to  prove  their  great 
achievements,  battles  fought  and  victories  won  ;  so  to  fill 
up  this  blank  they  caught  some  of  the  slaves  of  a  friendly 
tribe,  cut  off  their  heads  and  sent  these,  with  the  report  that 

296 


^■1^ 


WlUTlMU-OOn    I.OI.OS. 


Independent   Lololand. 


they  had  won   a  victory  over  their  enemy,  whose  country, 
in  fact,  was  some  twenty-five  miles  further  on. 

This  was  too  nnich  for  the  friendly  tribes  near  Kohchoh- 
ling,  so  a  few  days  later,  under  cover  of  a  thick  fog,  fifteen 
of  the  Lolo  warriors  charged  into  the  middle  of  tlie  Chinese 
camp,  war-whooping  ond  cutting  right  and  left  with  their 
short  swords  ;  they  killed  some  eighty  of  the  Chinese  braves 
and  the  fifteen  escaped  unhurt  into  the  thick  fog. 

The  Chinese  were  so  surprised  that  they  forgot  to  hre  their 
guns  or  use  their  bayonets  or  even  their  spears,  their  excuse 
being  that  they  were  afraid  to  hurt  one  another. 

A  short  distance  away  i,ooo  Lolos  attacked  another  part 
of  the  camp  but  were  not  successful.  Their  plan  was  to 
surround  the  Chinese  camp  and  to  kill  off  all  the  soldiers, 
but  they  were  met  on  a  pass  by  part  of  the  Chinese  Army, 
and  about  eighty  fell  on  both  sides. 

However,  the  Chinese  had  had  enough,  struck  camp,  and 
fled  toward  Tasin  Chang,  the  news  of  the  Emperor's  death 
arriving  about  the  same  time,  so  they  were  able  to  save  their 
face.  But  the  Viceroy,  who  had  his  spies  in  the  country, 
got  the  true  story  and  all  the  officials  who  had  anything  to 
do  with  the  affair  were  at  once  recalled  ;  and  the  brave  little 
pedlar,  who  drove  a  brisk  trade  with  the  soldiers,  now  sits 
in  the  Prefect's  chair,  though  it  remains  to  be  seen  if  he  will 
be  able  to  manage  things  any  better  than  his  predecessors. 
Strange  to  say  the  Lolos  claim  a  victory,  and  are  now  daring 
and  energetic  in  their  raids  on  the  poor  farmers. 

It  was  just  a  few  weeks  after  the  Chinese  troops  returned 
from  their  attack  on  the  Lolos  that  Brooke  entered  the 
country. 

He  took  with  him  his  Chinese-English  interpreter,  also 
his  Tibetan  interpreter,  three  coolies  with  light  loads,  and 
the  Futou  or  foreman. 

Their  first  intention  was  to  go  to  the  border  of  the  Lolo 
299 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

country  and  get  acquainted  with  some  friendly  chief,  if  pos- 
sible, and  find  out  something  of  the  country  and  its  people. 

He  knew  if  the  Chinese  officials  suspected  his  plan  they 
would  surely  stop  him,  so  he  quietly  slipped  out  of  the  North 
Gate  of  the  city,  and  by  going  up  a  quiet  path  got  clear  away, 
without  anyone  knowing  even  which  way  he  had  gone. 

Mr.  Meares  was  left  at  Ningyuenfu  to  develop  photographs 
and  make  ready  for  their  journey  toward  Batang  when  the 
party  returned.  They  had  learned  that  there  were  friendly 
Lolos  to  the  north,  and  Brooke  started  out,  hoping  to 
find  one  of  them,  and  telling  his  companion  that  he  might 
be  only  two  days  away  or  he  might  be  two  weeks.  Day  after 
day  Meares  waited  in  vain  for  the  party  to  return  or  some 
word  to  arrive  of  their  whereabouts.  When  I  reached  Ning- 
yuenfu some  three  weeks  later  I  found  him  in  a  most  agitated 
state  of  mind.  He  and  Mr.  Rudd  met  me  on  the  road  as  I 
approached  the  city  and  told  me  the  position.  I  feared  the 
worst,  but  thought  it  was  possible  that  Brooke  might  have 
got  safely  through  the  secluded  stretch  of  country,  and  had  had 
to  return  by  one  of  the  roundabout  ways.  That  would  take 
at  least  five  weeks  for  the  round  trip,  and  there  was  no  wa}^ 
of  getting  a  letter  or  messenger  across.  To  inform  the  Chinese 
would  probably  get  the  party  into  trouble  even  if  they  were 
quite  safe,  for  the  guards  have  been  known  to  make  it  very 
difficult  for  any  one  trying  to  break  through  their  fines  and 
enter  this  country.  IMr,  Wellwood  was  expected  home  any 
day,  and  as  he  was  personally  acquainted  with  the  officials, 
and  also  with  some  of  the  border  Lolos,  we  all  thought  it  was 
best  to  wait  for  him, 

I  was  also  anxious  to  see  Wellwood,  so  delayed  my  journey 
westward  a  few  da\-s. 

While  I  waited,  I  got  in  touch  with  some  of  the  friendly 
Lolos,  and  tried  to  find  out  if  they  knew  anything  of  the  where- 
abouts  of  the   party.     They  professed   their  ignorance,   but 

300 


Independent   Lololand. 


agreed  to  send  out  men  to  inquire  and  report  to  us  on  their 
return  ;  but  though  they  learnt  what  had  liappencd  they 
refused  to  inform  us,  being  afraid. 

By  the  time  Welhvood  returned  we  had  given  up  hope, 
and  he  and  Meares  went  at  once  to  the  Chinese  official  and 
reported  Mr.  Brooke's  delay. 

The  Prefect,  who  was  expecting  to  be  relieved  any  day, 
for  he  had  already  been  dismissed  for  the  failure  which  he 


TWO   LOLO   CHIEFS,    HOSTAGES    AT   YUEIIHSI    TING. 


and  the  Taotai  had  made  in  subduing  the  Lolos  in  the  pre- 
vious autumn,  was  quite  ind-gnant  at  the  party  attempting 
the  journey  without  first  reporting  to  him.  He  said  if  he 
had  known  he  would  not  have  allowed  them  to  go  in  ;  but, 
of  course,  they  had  known  this,  and  that  was  why  they  had 
not  reported.  Mr.  Meares,  through  Mr.  Welhvood,  engaged 
native  spies  and  sent  them  into  the  country,  and  they  brought 
out  the  first  report  of  what  had  really  befallen  the  party. 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

This  account  differed  in  some  details  from  the  reports  we 
got  later  from  the  two  survivors  (after  they  were  ransomed 
by  the  Chinese  military  official  Mr.  Yang  of  Tsoying  also 
called  Sanchiangkou,  a  mihtary  post  on  the  ■\Iupien  side), 
but  was  true  enough  to  the  facts. 

After  Mr.  Wellwood  returned  I  remained  three  days,  and 
then,  deciding  that  there  was  nothing  I  could  do  there,  started 
out  for  Mienninghsien  ;  but  on  reaching  Loku,  feeling  I  should 
go  up  to  the  Lolo  border  and  see  if  I  could  get  any  word  of 
the  missing  party,  I  turned  east  instead  of  going  north, 
landed  at  Kan  Shang  ying,  and  there  made  friends  with  the 
Chinese  military  official,  getting  later  in  touch  with  one  of 
the  most  influential  black  chiefs,  who  agreed  to  go  security 
for  my  safe  journey  to  Chaochoh,  the  Lolo  capital  or  centre. 
I  had  very  little  difficulty  in  making  this  arrangement.  The 
chief  said  they  had  heard  no  word  of  ]\Ir.  Brooke  and  his 
party,  but  assured  me  they  would  be  all  right,  as  most  of  the 
people  were  friendly  to  foreigners. 

All  the  arrangements  for  my  journey  to  Chaochoh  and 
out  via  Ningyuenfu  being  completed,  the  chief  and  his  party 
left  me. 

The  guide  was  to  come  next  morning  at  daylight  to  lead 
the  way  to  the  next  chief,  but  next  morning  I  waited  till 
9  a.m.  and  neither  my  guide  nor  the  chief  appeared.  As  I 
did  not  want  to  let  the  Chinese  officials  know  my  intentions 
I  kept  quiet.  About  9.30  the  old  chief  came  into  my  room, 
and  squatting  on  the  floor,  said  after  a  little  ado  that  he  could 
not  be  security  for  me,  and  asked  me  to  give  up  the  idea  for 
the  present.  Some  of  the  tribes  en  route,  he  added,  were  at 
war  and  it  was  impossible  to  cross  the  country.  I  could 
not  understand  the  cause  of  his  sudden  change  of  attitude 
but  felt  that  all  was  not  right. 

After  trying  in  every  way  to  assure  him  that  I  was  not 
afraid,  and  that  we  could  get  round  the  tribes  who  were 

302 


I ndcj)cn(,l('nt    I .( )1( )lan<  1. 


fighting,  but  finding  this  no  use,  and  the  old  chief  quite  firm ; 
I  had  to  give  up  the  idea  of  advancing — at  least  from  this 
point — and  returned  toward  Loku. 

We  had  not  gone  more  than  four  miles  when  my  Lolo  inter- 
preter told  me  the  cause  of  the  chief's  changing  his  mind. 
He  said  two  men  had  come  from  the  interior,  arriving  at 
Kanshangying  just  after  the  chief  left  me  the  evening  before, 
and  had  brought  word  that  Mr.  Brooke  and  party  had  been 
cut  to  pieces  by  the  A-heo  tribe,  and  that  the  peo[)le  in  the 
interior  were  quite  excited  over  it.  This  was  just  like  a 
Chinese,  and  I  suppose  a  Lolo  as  well,  to  keep  back  the  facts 
until  the  opportunity  of  finding  out  more  had  passed. 

I  had  not  to  wait  long  until  the  report  was  confirmed  from 
another  source,  and  a  little  further  down  the  valley  I  met  a 
runner  with  a  letter  saying  that  the  scouts  they  had  sent 
out  had  returned  with  the  report  that  Mr.  Brooke  and  party 
had  been  cut  to  pieces.  Mr.  Meares  begged  me  to  return  to 
Ningyuenfu  to  try  and  help  him,  as  Wellwood  had  to  go  out  to 
Chiatingfu  to  their  conference.  I  returned  at  once  and  found 
that  other  messengers  had  come  in  with  reports,  which  did 
not  offer  any  hope  for  the  isolated  party. 

About  the  same  time  a  telegram  arrived  from  Chentu  from 
the  Consul  and  my  wife  asking  me  not  to  continue  my  journey 
westward  as  there  was  serious  fighting  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Batang. 

I  remained  at  Ningyuenfu  two  weeks,  doing  what  I  could 
to  help  to  rescue  the  party  or  any  survivors  that  might  be 
held  as  slaves  ;  but  we  could  get  but  little  satisfaction  as  the 
official  would  not  exert  himself.  During  this  time  I  got 
acquainted  with  a  number  of  Musu  and  Lisu  people  and  some 
even  from  Mih,  half-way  to  Batang  ;  all  of  them  oftered  to 
guide  us  as  far  as  Mili. 

After  what  had  just  happened,  and  the  message  that  had 
come  from  Chentu,  it  seemed  best  to  return  and  postpone 
(1 1243)  305  ^ 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

my  westward  journey  ;  so  with  a  sad  heart  I  turned  my  face 
toward  Chentu,  while  Mr.  Meares  remained  at  Ningyuenfu 
to  await  further  developments,  and  see  if  the  Chinese  would 
be  able  to  get  the  bodies  and  bring  the  guilt}^  persons  to 
justice. 

I  here  give  a  translation  of  the  report  given  by  the  two 
survivors  of  the  party  who  went  in  with  Mr.  Brooke — one 
who  was  the  Futou  or  foreman,  and  the  other  one  of  the 
carriers — the  rest  were  all  put  to  death. 

For  the  sake  of  the  friendly  Lolos  I  refrain  from  giving 
the  names  of  the  friendly  chiefs,  but  this  free  translation  of 
the  report  given  by  the  survivors  may  be  of  interest. 

After  leaving  Ningyuenfu  the  party  travelled  in  a  north- 
easterly course,  passing  through  the  territory  of  several 
friendly  chiefs  before  reaching  Chao-choh. 

From  one  of  these  chiefs  Brooke  secured  an  interpreter 
who  had  travelled  throughout  the  country. 

Near  Chao-choh  they  found  a  friendly  chief  who  killed 
a  sheep  in  honour  of  the  visitor  from  the  West  and  insisted 
on  making  Brooke  his  blood  brother. 

This  chief  invited  them  to  travel  through  the  country, 
and  sent  his  own  son  to  introduce  them  to  the  next  chief. 
Thus  they  were  passed  on  from  one  tribe  to  another  and  were 
well  received. 

They  travelled  live  days  in  a  north-easterly  course,  during 
which  time  they  walked  300  li  (or  about  75  miles)  and  reached 
the  top  of  the  Liangshan  Range  at  the  Tafung  ting  Pass. 
As  the  snow  was  very  deep  and  the  descent  steep  on  the  east 
side  of  the  pass  Brooke  decided  that  they  would  not  descend 
it  but  return  from  this  place. 

From  the  top  of  the  pass  they  could  see  the  country  about 
Mapicn  and  even  Omei  shan  in  the  distance,  but  by  the 
shortest  route  they  were  still  iSo  li  (or  45  miles)  from  Mapien. 
On    tliis    pass    Mr.    Brooke   spent    some    time,    mapping   the 

;o6 


Independent   Lolola 


country  to  the  east,  as  well  as  filling  in  the  great  stretch  that 
opened  out  to  the  west  and  south  of  them. 

The  snow  was  very  deep  and  the  weather  extremely  cold, 
so  during  the  night  the  Lolo  guide  ran  away,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing they  found  themselves  without  a  representative  man 
to  introduce  them  to  the  next  chief. 

However,  they  continued  their  journey  by  a  road  that 
runs  further  north,  hoping  to  come  out  at  Kanshangying, 
the  place  where  I  attempted  to  enter  the  country.  The 
descent  was  quite  gradual  and  2,000  feet  below  the  peak, 
which  they  descended  in  a  distance  of  five  miles,  and  came 
to  the  first  Lolo  chief's  hut. 

On  arrival  they  found  the  chief  and  all  the  representative 
men  away,  but  the  chief's  wife  was  at  home.  In  Lololand 
the  women  have  almost  as  much  authority  as  the  men.  The 
chief's  wife  asked  them  to  wait  until  the  chief  returned,  but 
this  Brooke  refused  to  do,  saying  that  he  must  hurry, 
and  if  she  could  not  give  an  escort  he  must  go  on  without 
it ;  and  so  they  continued  their  journey.  They  had  not 
gone  far  when  the  chief's  wife  overtook  them  on  horseback, 
offering  to  conduct  them  through  her  domains  herself  on 
condition  that  the  fee  was  paid  in  advance ;  for  they  always 
make  a  charge  for  allowing  anyone,  even  a  Chinese  pedlar, 
to  pass  through.  Brooke  agreed  to  pay  the  fee,  which 
was  only  a  small  one,  on  arrival  at  the  next  chief's  house, 
saying  that  the  last  man  was  paid  in  advance  and  had  run 
away.  To  this  she  would  not  agree,  demanding  the  amount 
in  advance  ;  and  when  it  was  not  paid  she  rode  off  and 
left  the  party  to  find  their  own  way. 

Brooke  and  his  party  continued  their  journey  without 
escort,  and  after  crossing  a  small  spur  arrived  at  a  village, 
where  they  slept  in  the  house  of  the  next  chief. 

He  was  quite  friendly  and  agreed  to  pass  them  on  to  his 
next  neighbour.     Brooke  paid  i  tacl  (about  ^s.)  in  advance. 

309 


sport  and  IVavel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

The  chief  escorted  them  some  distance  himself,  when 
Brooke  urged  him  to  return  saying  that  if  he  sent  a  repre- 
sentative man  that  would  be  quite  sufficient,  so  the  chief 
sent  two  of  his  slaves  with  them. 

That  night  they  slept  in  a  house  of  one  of  the  tribe,  and 
while  they  were  eating  their  supper  a  suit  of  fur  clothing  and 
some  small  articles  were  stolen.  The  people  who  gathered 
about  were  a  bit  rowdy,  and  in  a  half  friendly  way  tried  to 
frighten  the  interpreter  Ho,  by  pretending  to  make  him  a 
prisoner  (as  in  the  photograph).  They  were  also  determined 
to  see  and  handle  the  Mauser  rifle,  to  which  Brooke  objected  ; 
so,  putting  the  rifle  in  the  sleeping  bag,  himself  kept  charge 
of  it.  They  were  not  molested  during  the  night,  but  the 
people  did  not  seem  very  friendly. 

Next  morning  when  leaving  Brooke  refused  to  make 
any  present  unless  the  fur  coat  and  other  things  were  re- 
turned. They  continued  with  the  two  slaves  from  the  last 
chief  as  guides. 

All  went  well  until  about  noon,  when  an  arrow  was  fired 
at  one  of  the  advance  coolies  from  a  thicket  through  which 
they  were  passing.  He  dropped  his  load  and  ran  back.  The 
interpreter  and  two  slave  guides  held  a  consultation  with 
the  men  who  were  in  ambush.  They  came  out  into  the  road 
and  proved  to  be  a  gang  of  about  thirty  men  who  had  followed 
them  from  the  village  where  they  had  spent  the  night.  They 
stated  that  they  were  looking  for  some  stray  cattle  and 
marched  on  ahead  until  they  came  to  a  place  where  the  path 
ran  through  a  deep  gorge,  where  they  mounted  the  cliff  and 
waited  for  Brooke's  party  to  come  up. 

Their  movements  were  detected  and  the  party  halted 
while  the  two  interpreters  and  the  slave  escort  went  forward 
and  consulted  with  them. 

A-heo  then  stated  his  business,  saying  that  he  was  the 
chief  of  this  district    and  they  had  no  right  there  without 


Independent  Lololand. 


his  consent.  The  chief  was  invited  to  come  down  from  the 
chff  and  talk  the  matter  over.  A-heo-labow  and  six  of  liis 
followers  came  down,  and  Brooke  explained  to  him  that 
he  tliought  the  escort  he  had  was  in  order,  and  that  he  did 


LOI.O   (.IRLS,    AGED    ABOUT    KIGHTEIi> 


not  know  that  he  was  breaking  any  of  their  rules  or  customs ; 
adding  that  if  the  chief  had  authority  to  escort  him  through 
the  country  to  the  next  State  he  would  be  glad  to  arrange 
with  the  chief  for  this. 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

The  A-heo  chief  said  that  the  slaves  who  had  escorted  them 
from  the  last  chief  had  no  right  to  pass  through  his  terri- 
tory, and  that  they  should  have  been  changed  where  they 
spent  the  night. 

He  at  first  demanded  lo  taels  to  escort  them  to  the  next 
chief,  but  as  Brooke  knew  it  was  not  more  than  ten  miles  from 
where  they  were  he  refused  to  give  so  much,  and  they  finally 
agreed  to  take  5  taels  (or  about  9s.),  but  demanded  it  in 
advance. 

The  attitude  of  A-heo  and  his  followers  did  not  inspire 
the  party  with  confidence,  and  the  interpreter  said  that  they 
intended  to  rob  them  from  the  first. 

Brooke  tried  to  show  him  that  it  was  impossible  for 
his  party  to  run  away  with  all  his  coolies  and  things,  and  that 
he  would  surely  pay  him  what  he  had  agreed  to  on  reaching 
the  next  chief,  who  had  been  friendly  on  their  way  up. 

They  seemed  to  have  some  little  talk  over  the  matter  of 
paying  in  advance,  and  Brooke  in  a  friendly  way  put  his  hand 
on  the  chief's  shoulder  and  put  the  other  hand  on  his  own 
pocket,  trying  to  show  by  signs  that  he  would  surely  pay 
him  the  money  himself  on  arrival  at  the  house  of  the  next 
chief.  Whether  A-heo-labow  understood  Brooke's  meaning 
or  whether  he  took  it  as  an  insult  it  is  hard  to  say,  but  I  think 
he  resented  Brooke's  freedom,  as  no  one  is  supposed  to  lay 
their  hands  on  a  chief  or  on  his  clothes.  Instantly  drawing  his 
sword,  he  struck  a  blow  at  Brooke's  head,  which  he  caught 
on  his  left  arm,  receiving  a  bad  cut,  and,  aroused  by  this 
treacherous  assault,  he  drew  his  revolver  and  shot  the  chief. 
Seeing  what  he  had  done,  he  fired  two  or  three  more  shots  in 
the  air  and  the  chief's  supporters  all  shpped  off  into  the 
undergrowth  and  disappeared.  Brooke  called  to  his  followers 
to  drop  their  loads  and  follow  him,  knowing  that  in  a  very 
short  time  they  w'ould  be  surrounded  and  taken,  and  their 
only  hope  was  to  try  and  reach  the  next  chief.     They  ran 


Independent  Lololand. 


down  through  the  gorge  and  reached  a  stream,  and  by  the 
time  they  had  run  ten  miles  and  arrived  at  Suga's  house  they 
were  quite  exhausted.  Some  of  the  cooHes  fell  behind  and 
were  overtaken  in  the  way  by  the  pursuing  Lolos. 

When  Brooke  and  his  interpreter  reached  Suga's  house 
they  reported  what  had  taken  place  and  offered  the  chief 
600  taels  if  he  would  get  them  out  safely  to  Chinese  territory. 
This  he  promised  to  do  if  they  would  give  up  the  rifle.  Be- 
lieving the  chief  to  be  friendly  Brooke  gave  him  his  rifle 
with  the  promise  of  being  safely  escorted  to  Yueh  Hsiting, 
but  no  sooner  had  he  done  so  than  their  pursuers  were  upon 
them  and  the}^  were  surrounded,  Brooke  tried  to  get  on 
the  top  of  the  house,  but  was  knocked  down  by  a  stone, 
Suga,  who  was  a  brother-in-law  of  the  chief  A-heo-labow,  who 
had  been  shot,  let  his  men  help  the  A-heo  people,  according 
to  their  law  he  was  bound  to — and  the  whole  party  were  soon 
cut  to  pieces. 

But  Brooke  kept  his  men  together  to  tlie  last  and  died 
bravely  trying  to  defend  them  ;  but  it  was  more  than  100 
to  I,  and  the  struggle  was  short. 

The  two  men  who  escaped  the  sad  fate  of  the  rest  of  tlie 
party  were  stunned  by  a  stone  by  which  they  were  hit  in  the 
early  part  of  the  fray.  After  some  time,  reviving,  they  managed 
to  creep  away  and  hide  in  caves,  neither  of  them  knowing 
but  that  they  were  the  sole  survivors.  They  were  found 
next  day  by  a  slave  and  secretly  sold  to  a  neighbouring  tribe. 
How  they  were  tied  to  one  of  the  other  slaves  and  were  made 
to  work  all  day,  only  given  a  very  small  portion  of  corn  meal 
cake  or  some  boiled  potatoes  when  they  returned  at  night, 
and  were  put  in  a  pit  in  the  centre  of  a  house  while  the  rest 
of  the  slaves  slept  on  the  boards  lest  they  should  escape — 
is  a  story  which  would  really  be  amusing  if  it  were  not  linked 
to  that  other  and  tragic  story  of  INIr.  P>r()okc  and  liis 
party's  end, 

313 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes, 

My  Chinese  boy  who  went  as  interpreter  to  Mr.  Brooke 
stood  by  him  to  the  last,  and  he  met  the  same  fate  as  his 
jnaster  and  the  others. 

This  report  was  told  me  by  both  men  before  they  had  met 
each  other  after  their  release.  The  foreman  was  escorted 
to  Chentii  and  made  his  report  to  me  before  the  officials  saw 
him. 

The  other  man  reported  to  me  at  Mapien,  and  both  stories 
agreed  except  in  a  few  minor  details  which  were  not  im- 
portant. Both  of  them  had  deep  scars,  and  one  had  deep 
cuts  in  his  head  which  eighty  days  after  the  attack  were  not 
healed. 

Thus  ended  the  life  of  a  daring  explorer  and  born  traveller. 


314 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

ReliCxION  and  Customs  of  the  Lolos. 

This  is  a  most  difficult  topic  to  write  about,  since  there  are 
many  branches  of  these  people  under  the  general  name  of 
Miao,  into  which  the  Chinese  group  all  the  tribes  of  Kwcichow, 
Yunnan  and  Sechuan. 

Many  of  these  tribes  have  their  own  local  customs  and 
religion,  and  one  has  to  be  careful  to  state  clearly  which  tribe 
is  referred  to.  A  good  deal  of  general  information  about 
some  of  these  tribes  can  be  gleaned  from  Chinese  history, 
but  it  is  difficult  to  be  always  quite  sure  just  whom  any  of  its 
compilers  is  referring  to.  However,  I  propose  to  give  a  few 
extracts  from  an  abridged  history  and  then  to  add  a  few 
paragraphs  on  what  I  know  of  the  particular  people  under 
review.  But  it  will  be  impossible  in  one  chapter  to  go  into 
much  detail,  and  already  my  story  has  grown  far  be\-ond 
the  original  plan  of  this  book.  I  trust  my  readers  will  not 
have  grown  weary  of  this  simple  narrative  of  adventure  and 
travel  among  this  ancient  and  secluded  people. 

I  venture,  therefore,  to  insert  these  short  extracts  from  a 
Chinese  history  which,  so  far  as  I  know,  has  never  before  been 
translated. 

There  are  many  tribes  in  the  mountains  and  valleys  of 
Sechuan,  as  recorded  by  many  historians.  After  having 
read  their  accounts  and  comparing  them  with  what  I  know 
and  have  heard  of  the  Miao  tribes,  I  here  record  what  I  have 
learned  of  those  in  Sechuan  though  brief  yet  complete. 
"The  Miao  religion  dates  from  Panhu  about  2500  B.C.     Panhu 

315 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 

killed  off  all  the  aborigines  for  which  the  Emperor  Tikuh 
honoured  him  by  giving  him  his  daughter  and  a  kingdom. 
He  had  six  sons  and  six  daughters,  who  became  the  fathers 
of  all  the  Miao. 

"They  occupied  the  country  of  Yalang  and  lying  between 
Suifu  and  Ningyuenfu  to  the  border  of  Kweichow  and 
Yunnan. 

"These  tribes  are  divided  into  the  White  Miao, Flower  Miao, 
Black  Miao,  Red  Miao,  Green  Miao,  and  each  tribe  has  its 
owTi  colour  of  dress.  They  are  scattered  about  in  villages 
and  hamlets,  and  any  trifling  cause  will  start  a  vendetta,  as 
the  proverb  says,  '  They  will  continue  their  animosity  for 
nine  generations.' 

"  Those  who  live  near  the  border  governed  by  China  are 
called  Su  Miao  (ripe  or  manageable),  while  in  the  interior 
they  are  called  Sung  Miao  (raw  or  unmanageable).  The 
people  near  the  Chinese  border  work  hard  hke  the  cow  or  ox, 
yet  they  are  very  poor.  The  men  put  their  hair  up  in  a  horn, 
and  the  women  wear  clam  shells,  and  a  hair  pin  about  ten 
inches  long  in  their  hair,  and  in  their  ears  long  earrings.  They 
wear  a  seamless  cloak,  having  a  hole  for  the  head  to  pass 
through. 

"  The  first  day  of  the  tenth  moon  is  their  feast  day.  On 
the  first  day  of  the  new  year  they  worship  Panhu  and  offer 
fish  to  him  in  a  trough  or  altar,  and  crying  out  in  a  loud  wailing 
voice. 

"When  visiting  an  official,  whether  of  high  or  low  degree, 
he  is  addressed  as  the  old  Emperor. 

"The  Chinese  are  always  referred  to  as  the  Han,  because 
it  was  in  the  Han  dynasty,  between  201  B.C.  and  23  a.d.,  that 
they  were  conquered  and  made  subjects. 

"The  Song  Miao  and  the  Tsai  Miao  are  the  descendants  of 
the  kings  of  Song  and  Tsai,  who  ruled  in  Honan  and  Hunan 
from  1122  to  770  B.C.,  when  their  two  kingdoms  were  con- 

-,i6 


A   LOLO   MUSICIAN. 


Religion  and  Customs  of  the  Lolos. 


quered  by  Chi  and  Tsii  a  remnant  of  the  people  escaped 
westward  and  became  the  Sung  and  the  Tsai  Miao. 

"These  people  are  very  honest  and  cultivate  the  land.  The 
Sung  tribe  are  the  more  intelligent. 

"They  still  wear  their  hair  in  a  horn  on  top  of  their  heads 
as  of  old,  but  have  clianged  the  fashion  of  their  garments 
and  have  adopted  that  of  the  other  Miao  tribes. 

"When  the  Tsai  dynasty  conquered  the  Chow,  many  of  the 
princes  of  Chow  were  sent  west  as  outlaws  and  prisoners, 
and  these  became  the  Tien  tribe,  who  still  retain  many  of 
the  Chow  customs,  such  as  the  worship  of  their  ancestors, 
which  is  performed  by  a  procession,  led  by  the  heads  of 
the  families  or  chiefs  and  all  join  in  a  song  of  praise  to  the 
departed. 

"The  Ya  Miao  live  in  Peislia  (north  gorge),  they  despise  the 
old  and  honour  the  young.  When  a  man  or  woman  is  old 
they  drive  them  out  for  sale,  and  even  a  son  wiU  sell  his  own 
father  or  mother. 

"  This  tribe  lives  in  caves,  which  they  have  hewn  out  of 
the  rocks  in  precipitous  places,  some  of  which  are  as  much  as 
eighty  feet  up  the  cliff  side,  and  to  which  ascent  and  descent 
are  made  by  means  of  bamboo  ladders  or  ropes,  which  the 
men  and  women  can  climb  like  monkeys." 

Much  more  of  this  ancient  history  could  be  quoted,  but 
it  might  not  be  of  interest  to  the  general  reader,  and  I  think 
enough  has  been  given  to  show  that  there  are  a  great  many 
different  tribes,  each  having  somewhat  distinct  customs. 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  caves  found  in  Western  China  were 
not  hewn  out  by  the  Chinese,  but  by  those  tribes ;  not  for 
tombs,  as  some  suppose,  but  for  dwelhngs  and  strongholds. 
While  the  terra-cotta  figures  found  in  some  of  these  caves 
show  that  a  different  style  of  dress  was  worn  by  the  people 
which  made  and  pkiced  these  figures  there  more  than  2, coo 
years  ago,  yet  it  is  not  proved  that  the  caves  weie  not  cut  out 

3 '9 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

and  once  inhabited  by  the  emigrants  from  Honan  and  Hunan, 
after  they  fled  westward  from  Central  China. 

History  states  that  many  of  these  emigrants  were  princes, 
who  were  banished  or  had  fled  for  their  Hves  rather  than 
submit  to  their  conquerors.  Their  descendants  claim  to  have 
royal  blood  in  their  veins  and  are  as  proud  to-day  as  their 
princely  forerunners  may  have  been  in  the  year  700  B.C. 

The  characters  used  by  them  prove  that  they  were  once 
connected  with  the  Chinese  nation.  I  know  one  man  in 
Chentu.  a  student  of  the  ancient  character,  who  was  able  to 
recognise  many  of  the  signs  used  by  the  Lolos,  but  many  of 
them  were  unknown  to  him. 

We  must  now  look  at  the  people  found  in  that  piece  of 
country  marked  on  the  map  "  Independent  Lololand." 

First  their  name : — These  people  are  generally  called  Lolos 
by  the  Chinese,  which  is  much  resented  by  them,  and  even 
the  name  of  Iren,  i.e.,  barbarian,  is  preferred.  Some 
Chinese  claim  that  the  name  Lolo  arose  from  the  custom  of 
writing  the  name  of  their  departed  on  a  piece  of  paper  and 
placing  it  in  a  basket  which  is  hung  in  a  certain  position  on 
the  wall.  This  is  why  the  Black  Bloods  look  upon  the  name 
as  an  insult  to  their  ancestors.  Whatever  the  cause  may  be, 
serious  objection  is  raised  to  the  name  and  they  call  them- 
selves Nosu,  which  the  Chinese  translate  black  bone,  but 
literally  it  means  black  person,  or  as  the  Nosu  interpret  it 
"royalty."  It  is  used  in  much  the  same  sense  as  the  term 
"  Blue  blood  "  is  applied  to  aristocracy  in  England. 

There  is  very  little  known  of  their  religion,  except  that 
som.e  of  them  worship  the  sun,  and  others  oak  trees  and  groves. 
When  a  Lolo  dies  his  greatest  ambition  is  to  be  sent  to  the 
next  world  in  a  chariot  of  fire.  As  soon  as  he  is  dead  his 
friends  gather  round  his  remains  and  build  a  great  bonfire 
and  place  his  body  on  it.  When  the  body  has  been  cremated 
the  ashes  are  put  in  a  jar  and  buried,  and  his  name  is  written 

320 


Religion  and  Customs  of  the   Lolos. 

on  a  piece  of  paper  and  put  in  tlie  family  basket.  This 
basket  occupies  a  similar  position  in  their  religion  to  the 
ancestral  tablet  among  the  Chinese. 

It  is  this  desire  to  be  despatched  in  a  fiery  chariot  that 
keeps  the  Lolo  from  ever  going  very  far  from  home,  unless 
travelling  in  fairly  large  parties.  When  a  Black  Bone  is 
killed  in  war,  either  by  the  Chinese  or  in  tribal  feuds,  a  great 
price  is  sometimes  paid  to  secure  their  dead  bodies,  in  order 
that  their  friends  may  join  in  the  ceremony  of  lighting  them 
into  the  next  world.  That  is  why  their  dead  are  always 
carried  off  the  field  v/hilc  the  battle  is  still  raging,  that  their 
bodies  may  be  despatched  with  great  honour  and  may  not 
fall  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies.  It  is  a  rare  thing  to 
find  a  dead  Lolo  on  the  field,  even  immediately  after  the 
battle.  It  is  the  greatest  honour  for  a  serf  to  rescue  the 
body  of  a  chief  or  comrade  from  the  enemies'  camp. 

If  they  are  away  from  home  and  anyone  should  be  taken 
seriously  ill,  or  is  wounded  so  that  he  has  to  be  left  behind, 
his  companions  will  prepare  for  him  a  pile  of  wood  on  which 
they  place  the  body,  so  that  the  sick  or  wounded  man  may 
light  his  own  fire  when  he  finds  he  cannot  get  better  or  is- 
about  to  be  overtaken  by  his  pursuers. 

The  magicians,  or  witch  doctors,  of  the  Lolos,  have  great 
influence  and  are  practically  the  only  persons  who  can  read. 
Their  writing  is  very  httlc  used  except  for  purposes  oi' 
incantation.  I  beheve  they  have  some  landmarks  of  their 
history  preserved,  and  when  some  one  has  mastered  their 
hieroglyphics  and  translated  their  writings  we  may  find  it 
clearly  stated  who  these  people  are.  But  so  far  as  I  have 
been  able  to  glean,  up  to  the  present  time,  I  am  persuaded 
that  the  Lolo  Nosu  are  the  original  inhabitants  of  Assam, 
who  were  driven  northward  at  the  time  of  the  Bengal  invasion. 
They  found  their  way  into  Central  Chma  and  there  for  some 
time  played  a  leading  part  in  Chinese  early  history,  having 

"1243)  321  V 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

much  to  do  with  the  introduction  of  Chinese  writing.  In 
some  Chinese  liistories  credit  is  given  to  the  chief  of  one  of 
these  tribes  for  introducing  writing  into  China.  In  the  time- 
of  the  Chow's,  rather  than  submit  to  their  conquerors,  they 
emigrated  to  other  regions. 

So  we  find  a  remnant  in  West  China.  I  have  reason  to 
suppose  that  the  Corean  is  of  the  same  stock ;  he  has  the  same 
type  of  face,  liis  ancient  st\de  of  writing  is  similar  to,  if  not 
identical  with,  the  Lolos.  Others  of  them  found  their  wa}- 
over  to  Japan,  and  we  find  terra-cotta  models  in  the  ancient 
caves  of  that  country  similar  to  those  recently  found  in  West 
Chuia.  All  this  is  still  short  of  absolute  proof,  of  course  ; 
but  from  clues  that  I  have  been  able  to  obtain  I  think  I  am 
en  the  right  track. 

They  are  certainly  not  Tibetan,  as  some  people  have  been 
led  to  think,  having  nothing  in  common  with  the  Tibetans, 
and  being  their  sworn  enemies. 

I  was  told  by  a  commander  in  the  Siamese  Army,  whose 
father  is  a  member  of  the  King's  Cabinet,  that  the  original 
inhabitants  of  Assam  emigrated  northward  into  China  many 
thousands  of  years  ago,  and  that  there  is  not  even  a  remnant 
of  that  people  left  there.  When  I  showed  him  the  photo- 
graphs of  the  terra-cotta  figures  found  in  the  caves  of  West 
China,  he  declared  that  they  corresponded  to  the  relics  of  the 
early  inhabitants  of  his  country,  who,  when  conquered  by 
Bangal,  emigrated  northward  rather  than  submit  to  their 
victors.  This  is  exactly  what  they  did  when  overcome  by  the 
Chows.  Tliis  officer  was  an  educated  man,  who  seemed 
to  be  well  up  in  ancient  history,  and  it  was  impossible  for  me 
to  follow  him  in  the  recital  of  his  dates,  wjiich  he  quoted 
as  far  back  as  4000  B.C. 

Since  coming  to  England  I  have  been  fortunate  enough 
to  meet  an  educated  Corean,  and  this  gentleman  claims  that 
tlie  Lolo  writings  and  customs  are  very  similar  to  the  ancient 


Religion  and  Customs  of  the   Lolos. 


Corean  ones  ;  and  he  was  prompt  to  claim  a  relationship. 
I  only  throw  these  hints  out  for  what  they  are  worth,  not 
being  able  to  prove  them  one  way  or  the  other ;  but  for  the 
student  of  anthropology,  ethnology  and  archaeology,  here 
is  a  most  interesting  field  for  his  operations,  and  I  only  wish 
I  had  the  necessary  knowledge  of  the  languages  and  the 
leisure  to  delve  into  the  subject.  Perhaps,  if  he  should  cast 
an  eye  on  these  pages,  Mr.  Andrew  Lang  may  have  something 
to  give  us  from  the  store  of  his  mythological  knowledge. 

The  Lolos  are  very  superstitious,  and  one  needs  to  be  well 
acquainted  with  their  customs  and  beliefs  in  order  to  deal 
with  them  without  giving  offence,  for  once  that  is  done  three 
generations  will  not  erase  the  grievance,  which  will  be  handed 
down  to  posterit}'  until  revenged. 

If  a  chief  or  one  of  his  family  is  killed,  his  tribe  are  under 
obligation  to  take  the  hfe  of  some  one  of  equal  rank  in  their 
enemies'  camp  before  the  wrong  is  appeased. 

The  pure  Black  Bloods  are  tall,  nimble  fellows  ;  some  of  them 
are  over  six  feet  in  height  and  scarcely  any  of  them  below 
five  feet  ten  inches.  The  way  they  scale  cliffs  and  descend 
mountains  is  a  mystery  to  the  Chinese,  and  some  celestials 
credit  them  with  the  power  of  being  able  to  fly. 

Their  chiefs  wear  long  black  cloaks  made  of  one  piece  of 
very  good  quality  of  felt,  I  bought  one  of  these  cloaks  from  a 
Lolo  chief ;  it  measured  twenty- four  feet  around  the  bottom 
when  spread  out ;  a  draw  string  put  through  one  end  of  this  sheet 
of  felt  is  gathered  in  until  it  ties  neatly  about  the  neck,  and 
hanging  loosely  over  their  shoulders  comes  down  to  about  the 
knee.  He  wears  very  roomy  trousers  made  of  Chinese  white 
cotton,  which  are  tucked  into  long  white  felt  socks.  The 
leg  is  neatly  wrapped  from  the  ankle  up  by  a  narrow  black 
woollen  bandage  very  neatly  put  on,  and  is  similar  to  the 
putties  worn  by  our  troops. 

Over  the  felt  socks  he  wears  sandals  made  of  bamboo  fibre, 

(H243)  3^-}  ^'  - 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 


which  has  a  string  of  the  same  material  coming  over  the  side 
of  the  foot  and  toes,  fastening  around  the  ankle  with  a  draw 
string. 

His  hair  is  done  up  in  a  horn  on  the  top  of  his  head,  around 
which  he  sometimes  wraps  a  white  piece  of  cotton. 

The  Black  Bone  can  easily  be  distinguished  from  the  White 
Bones  or  serfs,  who  are  mostly  Chinese  or  Tibetan  who  have 
been  captured  by  their  knights  and  carried  into  slavery. 
Strange  to  say,  they  soon  become  loyal  to  their  chiefs. 

The  serfs  wear  white,  grey  or  brown  cloaks,  short  trousers  ; 
and  go  barefooted. 

A  few  of  the  more  fortunate  ones  have  white  putties  and 
sandals  in  the  winter  season. 

The  Black  Bones  are  the  lords  and  never  do  any  work. 
They  are  fond  of  hunting  and  wandering  about  the  mountains. 
They  are  almost  without  exception  remarkably  straight 
built,  with  sHm  muscular  limbs,  whilst  some  of  them  are 
robust,  yet  anything  approaching  the  build  of  a  chubby 
Chinaman  is  unknown  in  their  ranks.  Most  of  them  have 
broad,  deep  chests  as  become  mountaineers. 

Their  large  oval  eyes,  set  in  an  oval  face,  with  fairly 
prominent  cheek  bones,  arched  but  rather  broad  nose,  pointed 
chin  and  thin,  firm  lips,  from  which  the  scanty  beard  has 
been  plucked,  set  them  apart  as  being  a  quite  distinct  race 
of  people  from  any  other  in  China.  Their  teeth  are  white 
and  regular,  which  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  food  they  live 
on,  which  is  largely  maize  bread  ;  and  it  is  said  that  they  never 
eat  roast  meat,  but  partake  of  it  either  raw,  dried  or  boiled. 
One  marked  feature  is  a  tendency  to  wrinkles,  especially  in 
their  forehead,  of  men  past  forty  years  of  age.  Their 
foreheads  are  low  but  broad  and  upright. 

The  Lolo  gathers  his  felt  mantle  tightly  around  him  and 
cares  not  for  wind,  rain  or  hail ;  he  is  at  home  wherever  night 
overtakes  him,  for,  tucking  his  mantle  closely  about  him,  he 

324 


Religion  cind  Customs  of  the   Lolos. 

squats  in  a  sitting  position  on  his  lieels,  with  his  back  up 
against  a  rock  or  a  bank,  and  gathering  his  cloak  over  his 
head,  sleeps  there,  impervious  to  wind  and  rain.  I  have 
seen  them,  even  when  lodging  in  a  Chinese  inn  at  Haitang, 
spend  the  night  in  this  way,  even  though  there  was  a  Chinese 
bed  there  if  they  wished  to  use  it.  In  their  own  homes  they 
sometimes  lie  down  to  sleep. 

The  Lolos  are  great  horsemen  and  breed  fine  ponies,  which 
when  well  trained  are  sold  to  the  Chinese.  The  stirrups 
are  so  short  that  when  riding  the  knees  are  at  right  angles 
to  their  bodies,  yet  they  pace  their  little  ponies  along  the 
sides  of  the  cliffs  on  narrow  rough  roads  at  high  speed,  as 
readily  as  they  do  on  the  plains. 

Once  a  year,  usually  in  the  tenth  month,  a  great  fair  is  held, 
when  the  clans  gather  from  all  quarters  and  race  their  ponies. 
This  is  a  time  of  general  merriment,  much  wine  is  drunk, 
and  man\-  of  them  spend  the  night  on  the  race  course. 

The  Lolo  women  are  also  tall  and  graceful,  wear  flat  hats 
rather  like  tam-o'-shanters,  and  some  of  them  have  hats 
made  of  calico  or  cotton  stretched  on  a  bamboo  lioop,  which 
look  almost  hke  quaker  bonnets ;  while  round  the  neck  a  tall 
collar,  ornamented  with  silver,  and  embroidered  short  jacket 
over  a  long  accordion-pleated  skirt,  complete  the  costume. 

The  Black  Bloods  never  marry  out  of  their  own  rank, 
and  never  marry  with  a  Chinese  of  any  rank. 

When  all  the  arrangements  concerning  a  marriage  have 
been  completed  and  the  day  for  the  wedding  is  fixed,  the 
bride  is  escorted  by  her  parents  and  some  of  her  friends  to  a 
favourable  camping  ground  near  the  bridegroom's  home. 
The  day  is  spent  in  feasting  and  merriment,  and  at  night  tht- 
bridegroom  comes  to  the  tent  of  liis  bride  and  steals  her  awa\' 
to  his  own  home. 

The  women  are  much  honoured  and  a  daughter  is  much 
more  welcome  in  a  home  than  a  son ;  for  when  the  daughter 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

gets  married  her  husband  must  send  horses,  sheep  or  cattle 
as  presents  to  the  girl's  parents ;  when  a  son  gets  married  he 
must  send  presents  to  his  father-in-law's  home. 

Women  have  almost  as  much  to  say  in  poKtical  affairs 
as  the  men,  and  in  stopping  a  quarrel  they  have  much  more 
influence. 

Should  there  be  a  quarrel  between  two  parties  in  a  clan 
and  one  of  the  girls  wish  to  stop  it,  she  takes  off  her  skirt 
and,  walking  backwards,  trails  it  after  her  on  the  ground 
between  the  two  parties,  and  if  they  have  any  honour  or 
chivalry  in  them,  not  another  blow  will  be  struck,  at  least 
on  this  occasion.  It  has  been  stated  by  the  Rev.  S.  Pollard 
that  there  are  20,000  of  non-Chinese  people  in  West  China 
exclusive  of  Mohammedans. 

It  is  estimated  that  there  are  17,000,000  of  non-Chinese, 
exclusive  of  Mohammedans,  in  all  China. 

These  are  grouped  into  four  great  famihes,  viz.,  the  Shan, 
Miao,  Nosu  and  Tibetan  tribes. 

There  are  5,000,000  to  be  found  in  Kweicheo  province,  which 
has  a  total  population  of  8,000,000;  7,000,000  are  found  in 
the  province  of  Yunnan,  which  has  a  total  population  of 
12,000,000  ;  and  over  5,000,000  are  to  be  found  in  Sechuan, 
which  has  a  total  population  of  65,000,000. 

It  is  only  within  the  last  few  years  that  any  attempt  has 
been  made  by  a  foreigner  to  come  in  contact  with  these  people, 
and  still  only  a  very  small  part  of  this  great  host  has  come 
under  the  influence  of  the  jMissionary.  The  China  Inland 
Mission  have  two  or  three  men  in  Kweicheo  who  are  giving 
their  attention  to  the  Shan  and  Miao  tribes  of  that  province. 
In  Yunnan  the  United  Methodist  Mission  and  also  the  China 
Inland  Mission  have  had  two  or  three  men  at  work  among 
these  tribes  for  some  years,  and  already  part  of  the  New 
Testament  has  been  translated  into  tlieir  language,  and 
thousands  have  been  won  for  Christ. 


ReliL;ion  and  Customs  of  the   Lolos. 

The  change  that  has  been  brought  about  is  really  wonderful. 
Scores  of  witch  doctors  have  given  up  their  lucrative  occupa- 
tion of  sorcery.  The  drunken  Miao  has  discarded  his  wine 
cup  :  the  maidens  have  torn  down  their  huts  of  ill-fame,  which 
they  once  built  by  the  roadside,  and  where  they,  without 
any  sense  of  shame  or  disgrace,  spent  tlunr  nights  in  merriment 
and  debauchery. 

In  one  place  the  :\liaos  gave  2,000  days  of  gratis  labour 
to  build  a  church  in  which  to  worship  the  true  God,  and  there, 
on  Sundays,  as  many  as  800  will  partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
at  one  time.  Thirty  thousand  Hosannahs  are  going  up  daily 
in  this  one  section  of  the  country,  from  a  people  who  have 
been  despised  by  the  Chinese  for  generations,  until  they  had 
fallen  so  low  in  the  scale  of  civilisation  that  they  were  but 
little  above  the  brute  beast. 

Yet,  when  the  love  of  God  reached  them,  it  lifted  them 
from  the  deep  pit  into  which  they  had  fallen  and  put  a  new 
song  in  their  lips,  and  set  them  singing  such  notes  of  joy  that 
the  hillsides  resound  with  echoes  of  praise,  which  we  trust 
will  go  on  till  they  reverberate  through  every  valley  and 
hill  and  this  despised  people  shall  be  won  for  God. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Rescue  of  the  Survivors  and  Burial  of  the  Murdered 
Explorer  and  His  Interpreter. 

When  definite  news  was  received  of  the  fate  of  the  party, 
a  number  of  Lolo  spies  were  engaged  to  enter  the  country 
and  try  and  recover  the  bodies  and  as  many  of  the  things 
as  could  be  found;  also  to  tr}-  and  redeem  the  two  alleged 
surviv^ors. 

These  men  brought  back  different  versions  of  what  had 
taken  place,  and  it  was  difficult  to  sift  out  the  true  from  the 
false.  It  was  decided  that  nothing  should  be  made  public 
until  the  two  men  who  had  been  present  were  rescued,  and 
their  report  made. 

The  spies  secured  a  few  small  personal  effects,  a  note-book 
and  part  of  a  letter  written  to  Mr.  Meares  ;  but  the  things  had 
been  so  much  scattered,  and  most  of  them  were  destroyed,  so 
that  it  was  difficult  to  get  back  much. 

A  friendh'  Lolo  chief  agreed  to  bring  the  bodies  out  for 
a  nominal  sum,  but  there  was  so  much  quarrelling  over  who 
was  to  get  the  money  that  he  did  not  succeed  in  getting  them. 

In  the  meantime  the  Viceroy  sent  word  to  the  officials 
along  the  border  that  the  bodies  must  be  recovered,  and  so 
the  local  officials  sent  in  agents,  who  bid  against  each  other, 
until  the  Lolos  began  to  say,  "  If  a  dead  foreigner  is  worth 
so  much,  what  would  a  live  one  be  worth  ?  "  Finally,  a  man 
sent  out  by  a  colonel  on  the  Mapien  side  got  possession  of 
the  two  surviving  men.  having  brought  them  out  for  400  taeis 


Rescue  of  the  Survivors. 


(or  about  £50)  ;   he  also  paid  800  taels  for  Mr.  Brooke's  boch' 
and  600  taels  for  Ho  s. 

The  Futou  was  sent  up  to  Chentu  under  escort  and  came 
straight  to  me.  I  got  his  report  and  took  it  down  before 
he  was  questioned  by  the  Chentu  officials,  and  sent  a  report 
to  Mr.  Mearcs,  who  was  still  at  Ningyuenfu. 

The  Viceroy  asked  the  British  Consul  to  go  to  Mapien  to 
identify  the  body,  but  he  was  very  ill  and  could  not.  A  day 
later  he  had  to  leave  Chentu  for  home.  And  since  I  knew 
Mr.  Brooke  perhaps  better  than  anyone  at  Chentu,  the 
Consul  begged  me  to  go  up  and  see  what  could  be  done. 

I  had  not  long  returned  from  Ningyuenfu,  but  as  it  was 
an  urgent  case  I  did  not  hesitate.  My  wife  was  again  left 
in  charge  of  our  depot  and  I  packed  two  loads  of  books  and 
started  out,  accepting  only  two  Fusongs  out  of  the  ten  sent 
by  the  officials,  thus  travelling  in  my  usual  way.  We  went 
overland  as  far  as  Chiatingfu  and  there  got  boat  to  Chienwei, 
a  city  120  li  (or  30  miles)  further  down  the  river.  From 
Chienwei  I  went  by  the  main  road,  but  one  which  is  very 
seldom  traversed  by  foreigners  and  never  by  myself  before. 
There  was  no  hurry,  so  we  took  four  days  to  do  the  three 
stages,  spending  some  time  at  the  towns  by  the  way,  and  by 
the  time  I  reached  Mapien  I  liad  disposed  of  most  of  the 
books  I  had  brought  with  me. 

On  arriving  at  Mapien  I  was  no  longer  able  to  escape  the 
Chinese  escort,  for  the  ^'iceroy  had  sent  word  to  the  officials 
there  that  I  was  to  be  treated  with  all  due  respect,  as  I  had 
been  sent  by  the  Consul.  This  was  news  for  me,  for  while 
I  had  consented  to  go  at  the  Consul's  request,  I  had  no  idea 
that  the  Chinese  were  going  to  look  on  me  as  a  deputy. 

Protests  were  of  no  avail.  The  best  in  the  place  was  put 
at  my  disposal,  and  a  guard  of  red-coated  braves  with  rifles 
were  appointed  to  escort  me  about  on  the  streets.  To  this 
I  objected,  not  allowing  them  to  go  with  me  except  when  1 

329 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

called  on  the  Prefect  and  other  officials,  which  I  had  to  do, 
as  they  all  came  to  my  inn  a  short  time  after  I  arrived  with  a 
full  retinue.  I\Ir.  Yang  sent  down  an  escort  of  eighteen  men  to 
escort  me  up  to  Sanchiang  Kou.  This  is  the  most  western  out- 
post of  Mapien,  and  only  twelve  miles  from  where  Mr.  Brooke 
and  party  turned  back.  To  this  military  station  the  prisoners 
and  the  bodies  of  Mr.  Brooke  and  his  interpreter  were  brought 
b}'  the  Lolos,  but  they  would  not  deliver  them  up  until  the 
money  had  been  paid  over. 

Though  it  was  eighty  days  from  the  time  the  murders  had 
been  committed  until  the  time  I  examined  the  bodies,  yet 
they  had  not  decayed,  for  they  had  been  frozen  all  the  time ; 
for  at  Sanchiang  Kou  fires  were  needed  and  furs  were  worn 
all  the  year  round. 

It  was  indeed  a  sad  and  trying  ordeal  for  me  to  look  on 
the  remains  of  my  friend,  who  had  left  our  home  in  October 
full  of  life  and  vigour,  thus  mutilated  and  laid  in  a  Chinese 
coffin  ;  but  I  had  no  difficulty  in  identifying  his  body. 

The  corpse  of  my  adopted  Chinese  boy  lay  in  another  coffin 
alongside.  It  was  impossible  to  keep  the  tears  of  sorrow 
and  regret  from  rolhng  down  my  cheeks. 

I  have  been  in  some  trying  places  during  my  sixteen  years 
in  China,  but  none  that  told  on  me  more  than  this. 

The  thought  of  all  my  narrow  escapes  flashed  on  me,  3'et 
God  had  spared  me  and  taken  one  who  had  only  been  in  the 
country  for  such  a  comparatively  short  time. 

It  is  all  too  sad  to  write  about,  and  yet  I  feel  that  it  is  only 
right  that  my  readers  should  know  what  it  all  meant  to  me 
and  to  others,  who  have  to  take  their  lives  in  their  hands 
and  go  forth  into  the  dark  corners  of  the  earth. 

I  saw  the  coffins  nailed  and  sealed,  and  then  left  them  to 
be  sent  on  to  Chentu  by  the  Chinese  official,  and  took  a  .'^hort 
cut  across  the  Lolo  country,  coming  out  on  the  Tung  at  its 
highest  point  of  navigation  ;  from  there  I  took  boat  and  came 


Rescue   of  the   Survivors- 


down  to  Chiating,  and  travelled  the  main  road  home  without 
any  incident  of  note.  The  country  travelled  through  v/as 
most  interesting  and  quite  new,  but  this  is  not  the  time  or 
place  to  describe  it.  I  may  just  say  that  the  Lolos  v^ere  mak- 
ing nightly  raids  on  the  Chinese  along  their  border,  and  one 
night  I  stopped  at  a  place  where  they  came  next  door  to 
where  I  was  sleeping,  sacked  the  house  and  carried  off  two 
persons. 

About  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  was  awakened  by  a  terrible 
row  and  the  call  of  "  Murder  !  murder  !  "  I  was  sure  it  was 
in  the  same  building  in  which  we  were  lodging,  for  there  was 
only  a  thin  mud  partition  between  them  and  us. 

Bounding  out  of  bed  I  barred  the  back  door  witli  some 
old  benches.  The  whole  place  was  in  a  turmoil.  The  soldiers 
who  were  encamped  across  the  road  were  called  out ;  but  before 
they  got  to  the  house,  the  Lolos  had  done  their  work,  and 
had  taken  some  silver  and  carried  off  two  young  people,  leav- 
ing the  father  and  mother,  who  were  about  fifty  years  of  age, 
wounded  in  the  home,  and  had  made  their  escape.  The 
soldiers  fired  a  few  shots  after  them  in  the  darkness  but  did 
not  hit  any  of  the  Lolos. 

This  is  a  nightly  scene  at  some  points  along  the  border, 
and  the  traveller  who  enters  Lololand  must  be  prepared  for 
the  consequences  ;  the  only  safe  way  is  to  stick  to  one's 
security  and  never  move,  unless  the  Chief  or  some  of  his 
relatives  personally  escort  one. 

On  returning  to  Chentu  I  found  that  ]Mr.  ]\Ieares  had  arrived 
three  days  before  me,  coming  direct  from  Ningyuenfu,  where 
he  had  remained  after  I  left,  hoping  to  do  something  for  the 
recovery  of  the  survivors  and,  if  possible,  to  get  the  body 
of  his  companion.  This  was  a  most  trying  time  for  him, 
and  if  it  had  not  been  for  what  was  going  on  in  the  surround- 
ing country  tlic  time  would  have  passed  even  more  slowly 
than  it  did. 

331 


Sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

The  Lolos  were  asserting  themselves  everywhere.  Reports 
kept  coming  in  from  many  places  along  the  borders  of  nightly 
raids  being  made  on  the  isolated  settlers. 

When  I  was  coming  home,  at  one  place  near  Lichow,  a  city 
only  twelve  miles  north  of  Ningyuenfu,the  Lolos  had  come  down 
the  night  before  and  destroyed  a  whole  village,  carrying  off  over 
thirty  captives.  Next  morning  a  detachment  of  the  local  ■Militia 
were  sent  up  to  the  scene.  They  were  ambuscaded  and  sur- 
rounded, and  only  seven  wounded  men  returned  to  tell  what 
had  happened  to  the  part}-,  most  of  their  rifles  being  captured 
b}''  the  Lolos.  This  aroused  the  Chinese  General,  a  man  of 
about  seventy  years  of  age,  who,  because  of  his  experience  in 
days  gone  by,  had  been  sent  to  relieve  the  retiring  General  since 
the  latter  had  made  such  failure  of  things  the  previous  autumn. 
As  a  matter  of  fact  the  retiring  General  was  a  very  capable 
man,  but  could  not  do  much,  his  hands  being  tied  by  his 
superiors.  For  the  Taotai  and  Futai,  who  are  both  civil 
officers  and  really  the  masters  of  the  situation,  if  there  is  any 
credit  to  be  obtained  for  any  achievement,  they  claim  it  ; 
but,  if  any  blame  them  for  any  failure,  they  try  to  put  it  on  to 
the  military  officer;  so  that  to  be  a  General  in  this  part  of 
the  world,  at  least,  is  not  the  most  desirable  position. 

The  new  General  mounting  his  sedan  chair — for  he  was 
too  old  and  feeble  to  ride  a  horse — called  out  his  men;  and 
with  fluttering  banners  and  long  spears  adorned  with  tassels 
of  yak  hair  (dyed  red)  dangling  from  their  spear  sockets, 
all  straggled  off  in  a  long  procession  500  strong.  On  reaching 
Lichow  they  camped  for  the  night,  and  next  morning  set  out 
for  the  ruined  village  to  find  the  Lolos  who  had  done  the 
damage  some  three  days  earlier.  Of  course  there  was  no 
one  to  be  seen,  so  the  old  General  led  his  men  up  to  some 
isolated  Lolo  huts  not  far  distant  and  set  fire  to  them.  But 
when  they  were  returning  from  this  achievement  a  band 
of  Lolos  pounced  upon  them,  no  one  could  tell  how  or  from 


Rescue  of  the  Survivors. 


where  they  came  ;  the  Chinese  soldiers  were  just  passing 
through  a  gorge  and  got  badly  cut  up,  and  the  General  just 
escaped  being  captured  in  his  chair. 

He  returned  to  Ningyucnfu  and  called  out  all  the  soldiers 
and  Mihtia,  leaving  Ningyuenfu  unguarded,  and  led  his  men 
back  to  Lichow  and  in  by  the  same  route  to  attack  some  Lolo 
village  where  he  had  been  surprised  a  few  days  previously. 
The  Lolos  got  word  of  his  plans  and  retired,  taking  every- 
thing with  them,  so  that  the  Chinese  found  nothing  but  a 
few  empty  huts  to  burn,  which  would  not  take  the  Lolos  more 
than  a  few  days  to  restore.  Their  houses,  near  the  Chinese 
border  especially,  are  no  more  than  a  few  poles  set  on  end 
and  covered  over  with  wild  grass.  In  some  places  they  have 
fairly  comfortable  shanties,  but  they  make  no  elaborate 
attempt  at  building.  In  this  respect  they  are  quite  different 
from  the  Mantze. 

While  the  Chinese  General  was  thus  pressing  into  their 
country  with  his  entire  force  the  Lolos  divided  into  two 
parties.  One  went  south  by  a  small  road  and  commenced 
pillaging  and  burning  Chinese  villages  just  outside  of  the 
city  of  Ningyuenfu,  and  came  almost  beneath  the  very  walls 
of  the  city.  The  city  gates  were  kept  closed  and  the  mer- 
chants and  citizens  took  their  places  on  the  walls,  with  clubs 
and  stones  to  defend  the  city,  should  an  attack  be  made. 
Another  band  of  Lolos  attacked  the  small  town  of  Mienshan 
three  days  to  the  north.  Thus  the  General  was  forced  to 
return  and  defend  these  places,  and  the  Lolos  again  retired 
to  their  strongholds.  This  is  the  kind  of  thing  that  goes 
on  all  the  time,  Meares  went  out  and  got  some  photos  while 
they  were  looting,  and  watched  the  operation  from  a  secluded 
point  on  one  of  the  hillsides  of  Ningyuenfu. 

In  a  few  days  all  was  quiet  again,  but  many  disturbing 
rumours  were  afloat.  In  the  midst  of  such  rumours  and 
excitement  the  Rev.  R.  Wellwood  and  his  wife  have  lived  for 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan  Steppes. 

the  last  six  years,  until  relieved  on  the  eve  of  their  departure 
on  furlough  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rudd,  who  are  still  holding  on 
and  doing  good  work,  in  spite  of  the  turbulent  atmosphere 
in  which  they  live.  Some  French  fathers  have  been  toiling 
for  years  in  this  valley  so  full  of  eruptions. 

Meares'  journey  back  to  Chentu  was  without  event  until 
he  reached  Chingchihsien,  where  he  met  the  Nepalese  Am- 
bassador.    I  give  his  story  in  his  own  words  : — 

"  I  could  get  no  quarters  in  the  town,  so  went  to  a  small 
hovel  higher  up  the  street,  and  after  my  meal  I  went  and 
called  on  the  Ambassador,  whom  I  found  to  be  a  very 
pleasant  old  gentleman  and  who  spoke  perfect  English. 

"Next  morning  I  started  off  with  mycooiles  before  daylight, 
and  on  going  to  the  door  to  see  them  off  I  found  the  Am- 
bassador waiting  to  see  me.  He  wore  a  long  silken  kaften, 
and  wound  round  his  head  was  a  sacred  scarf,  which  barely 
covered  a  golden  plate,  bound  to  the  top  of  his  head.  He 
was  attended  by  one  Gurka,  who  held  a  saddled  horse.  He 
immediately  approached  and  embraced  me,  and  began  to 
cry  bitterly,  saying  that  he  was  dying.  He  declared  that 
the  Chinese  were  conspiring  to  poison  him,  and  had  been 
drugging  his  food  for  several  days  past ;  then  finally,  during 
the  night,  they  had  been  trying  to  kill  him  with  chloroform. 
He  threw  himself  on  my  protection,  and  asked  that  I  should 
take  him  to  the  British  Consul  at  Chentu.  Inducing  him 
to  come  into  my  inn  I  tried  to  soothe  him,  and  after  a  few 
minutes  some  of  his  Gurka  officers  arrived,  but  as  soon  as  he 
saw  them  he  seized  a  pistol  and  tried  to  shoot  them.  With 
some  difficulty  I  managed  to  get  the  pistol  from  him  and 
quiet  him.  A  little  later  a  Chinese  official  came  to  call,  but 
he  at  once  seized  a  large  hammer  that  was  lying  in  the  room 
and  tried  to  kill  him.  Just  managing  to  catch  the  Ambassador 
in  time  I  tried  to  pacify  him  until  we  got  the  official  safely 
out  of  the  house.     After  the  official  left  he  grew  much  quieter, 

334 


HE   AUTHOR    IN   CHINESE    1)K1>- 


Rescue  of  the   Survivors. 

and  told  me  many  interesting  things  about  himself  and  his 
country.  Now  that  he  seemed  more  composed  I  slipped 
out  of  the  room  and  went  to  the  telegraph  office  to  send  a 
wire  to  the  British  Consul  at  Chentu,  stating  the  case  and 
asking  what  steps  I  should  take,  saying  that  the  Ambassador 
insisted  on  returning  with  me  to  Chentu.  I  received  the 
reply  that  the  Consul  had  left  Chentu.  Going  down  to  the 
inn  where  the  Ambassador  was  lodging  I  found  his  officers 
in  a  great  state  of  agitation.  They  could  only  speak  Hin- 
dustani ;  but  fortunately  I  was  able  to  talk  to  them,  and 
found  them  all  very  nice  men  ;  they  said  that  they  were  quite 
sure  that  the  Ambassador  had  quite  gone  off  his  head,  and 
that  they  could  do  nothing  with  him. 

"  After  a  lot  of  consultation  we  decided  to  telegraph  to 
the  Maharajah  of  Nepal,  asking  him  for  instructions.  So  I 
wrote  out  a  long  telegram,  saying  that  the  Ambassador  had 
become  strange,  and  insisted  on  coming  to  Chentu  and  aban- 
doning the  expedition. 

"  On  taking  the  message  to  the  office  the  clerk  said  that 
he  did  not  know  where  Nepal  was,  or  how  much  the  telegram 
would  cost,  until  he  received  particulars  from  Chentu.  I 
got  the  officers  to  come  up  to  my  inn  to  see  the  Ambassador  ; 
they  told  him  in  my  presence  that  no  one  ever  thought  of 
poisoning  him,  and  all  swore  that  they  would  protect  him  with 
their  lives,  saying  that  '  if  he  insisted  on  leaving  the  mission 
they  would  never  dare  to  return  to  Nepal,  and  that  they 
would  all  disperse  and  become  religious  mendicants.'  After 
a  lot  of  persuasion  the  Ambassador  agreed  to  do  what  I  re- 
commended, and  finally  decided  to  continue  his  journey  to 
Dachienlu,  where  he  would  find  other  Europeans.  So  I  es- 
corted him  back  to  his  inn,  marching  down  the  street  arm- 
in-arm,  and  stayed  with  him  till  late  at  night.  He  gave  me 
some  presents  and  a  photograph  of  himself,  and  begged  me 
to  take  any  of  the  ponies  I  fancied  ;   but  I  insisted  I  was  leav- 

( 1 1243)  337  '' 


sport  and  Travel  on  the  Tibetan   Steppes. 


ing  the  country,  and  did  not  need  any  of  them.  They  were  all 
most  anxious  that  I  should  accompany  them  on  their  journey 
along  the  southern  road  to  Lhasa,  where  they  were  to  stay 
a  month  before  going  on  to  Katmandu.  It  was  the  chance 
of  a  lifetime  ;  but  I  had  other  work  to  do  and  had  to  refuse 
their  offer,  and  slipped  back  to  my  inn.  Next  morning, 
starting  off  early,  we  climbed  the  great  pass,  which  was 
covered  with  snow  almost  from  the  bottom.  The  top  was 
a  sheet  of  slippery  ice,  and  both  myself  and  my  pony  had 
many  bad  falls.  However,  we  crossed  without  accident, 
and  continued  our  march  to  Chentu,  where  I  stayed  in  the 
hospitable  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fergusson's. 

"  A  few  days  later  Mr.  Fergusson  returned  from  Mapien, 
saying  that  the  coffins  were  on  their  way,  and  would  arrive 
in  a  few  days.  So  we  made  all  the  necessary  arrangements, 
and  when  word  came  that  they  were  approaching  the  city 
we  went  to  meet  them  at  a  large  temple,  one  mile  outside  of 
the  city  gate,  where  the  officials  had  made  arrangements 
for  receiving  them.  Every  respect  was  shown,  and  they 
insisted  on  having  it  carried  overland  with  escort,  with  all 
the  honours  that  is  usually  paid  to  their  high  officials.  Next 
day  the  funeral  took  place  in  the  foreign  cemetery,  a  beautiful 
place  a  few  miles  from  Chentu,  I  felt  this  was,  indeed,  a  sad 
ending  to  all  our  hopes  and  the  projects  we  had  made  to- 
gether, and  I  had  lost  my  best  friend." 

It  only  remains  for  me  to  add  that  the  Rev.  H.  H.  Taylor 
of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  conducted  the  funeral 
service.  A  stone  engraved  with  the  words  "  Lieutenant 
/.  W.  Brooke,  F.R.G.S.,  killed  by  the  Lolos  on  December  24, 
1908,"  marks  the  spot  where  his  body  rests. 


INDEX. 


Acree,  190. 

Angling,  Chinese  method  of,  229. 

Anning  River,  the,  291. 

Antediluvian  animals,  56. 

Assance,  Father,  50,  51. 

Baram  Tsaidam,  26,  27,  28,  38. 

Baran  Tsaidan,  v. 

15archonku,  221. 

Batang,  33,  209,  223,  305. 

Bati,  125,  200. 

Bawang,  125,  200. 

Bridge,  a  primitive  chain,  230. 

Brine  wells,  67. 

Black  Bones,  the,  324,  325. 

Blockhouses,  Chinese,  289. 

Bonba  Cuh,  the,  242,  249,. 

Brahmaputra  River,  the,  v,  7,  43.  . 

Brooke,  John  Weston,  birth  of,  iv. 

in  the  Boer  War,  iv. 

goes  to  East  Africa,  iv. 

made    a    Fellow    of    Royal 

Geographical  Society,  iv. 

obtains   commission   in    the 


regular  army,  iv. 
love   of  beauties  of  Nature 


shown  by,  viii. 
interview  with  Dalai  Lama, 


meets  Mr.  C.  H.  Meares,  7. 

forced   to  retrace  his   steps, 

7- 
friendship  with  a  Mongolian 

Chief,  7- 

meeting  with   Dr.  Taffel,  9, 


13- 


attacked  by  a  Tibetan,  13-4. 
visit  to  Chinghiwang,  21-3. 
through  snow  and  wind,  on 


the  road  to  Nachukha,  33-9. 


Brooke,  John  Weston,  forced  to  re- 
trace his  steps,  42. 
snowblindness,  45,  47- 

impression     of     Missionary 

work  in  China,  51. 

starts    on   his  journey    witli 

C.  H.  Meares,  54. 
■  visits  a  coal  mine,  63. 

leaves  Chentu  with  Meares, 


263. 


enters  Lololand,  299. 

survivors'     story      of     the 

mrder  of,  306-14. 

effoits    to    recover   body  of. 


328-9. 


funeral  of,  338. 

■  gravestone  to,  338. 

Buddha,  the  incarnation  of,  227-8. 
Buddhist  monasteries,  254. 
Budorcas,  sec  Takin. 
Burnham,  Major,  influence   on   Mr. 

Brooke  of,  iv. 
Butter,  Tibetan,  190. 
Calcutta,  V. 

Camels,  purchasing,  23-4. 
Cassels,  Bishop,  52-3. 
Caves    on    the    road    to    Chiating, 

270-4. 
Chala,  209. 

Changku,  165,  237,  241. 
Chang  Ming,  the,  85,  126,  133. 
Chantwei,  209,  211,  212. 
Chentu,  57,  64,  68,  71,  72,  74,  77,  7S, 

83,  84,  87,  105,  117,  J25,   136,   154, 

199,  237,  246,  262,  292,  305,  329, 

331.  334,  337- 
Cheoser,  182,  183. 
Cheti,  153. 
Chiang  Tsui,  232. 

339 


Index. 


Chichen,  49. 

Chiefs,    intermarriage    among    the, 

256. 
Chienliangshan,  109. 
Chiku  Pass,  the,  154,  162. 
"Childfish,"  the,  277. 
China  Inland  Mission,  the,  222,  326. 
China,  Non-Chinese  in,  326. 
Chinese    attempts    to     subdue    the 

Lolos,  294-9. 
Chinese  quacks,  remedies  sold  by,  59. 
Chingchihsien,  281. 
Chinghiwang,  20,  21,   22,  23,  24,  26, 

27. 
Chintouchai,  160,  162. 
Chintzouchai,  163. 
Chosschia,  125,    153,    182,    184,    188, 

191,  193- 
Chowser,  153. 

Chungking,  7,  53,  56,  57,  64,  71. 
Chupanying,  290. 
Coal  mine,  a  Chinese,  63-4. 
Colonel,  home  of  a  hereditary,  257- 

61. 
Coolie,  head,  responsibility  of,  73. 
Coolies,  spring-cleaning  the,  245. 
Coracle,  steering  a,  182. 
Dachimpa,  27,  28,  29. 
Dalai  Lama,  arrival  of,  2-3. 
preparations  for  the 

coming  of  the,  1-2. 
preparations  for  visit- 


ing the,  4. 


trade       between 

Chinese  and,  8. 
Damba,  125,  165,  177,  178,  179,  182. 
Damtung,  185,  191,  192,  193. 
Damtung,  Tussu  of,  194. 
Dawo,  205,  206,  212. 
Demon  possession,  253. 
Dergi,  209,  212. 
Dichu,  43. 
Dri  River,  the,  t,3 
Drozer,  178,  179. 
Drukagi,  125,  154,  159,  170,  173. 
Duck  farms,  64. 

Duck  hunting  at  Yachow,  278-9. 
Dulan,  lake  of,  21,  26. 


Elephant,  a  brazen,  264-9. 
Fergusson,    W.     N.,     Brooke     and 
Meares  call  on,  72. 

first  meets  Brooke,  7. 

goes    to    identify     body    of 

Brooke,  329-30. 

goes   to    Loku  and  hears  of 

Brooke's  fate,  302-3. 

Fertilising,  Chinese  system  of,  68. 
Figures  found  in  the  Caves,  274,  319, 

322. 
Fire-water,  Chinese,  150. 
Fleas,  a  nest  of,  130. 
Foreign     Christian      Mission,     the, 

223. 
Fox,  Mr.,  72. 

Gaishechia,  125,  1S5,  201,  203. 
Gari,  248. 

Gochuang,  A,  206,  211,  228. 
Gold  diggers,  Chinese,  218,  222. 
Golok  robbers,  16,  27,  28,  134. 
Golok  robbers.   Dr.  Tafifel  and   the, 

10. 
Goral,  a  pet,  120. 
Goral  hunting,  99-103. 
Gou,  Colonel,  134. 
Great  Gold  Stream,  234. 
Gyantse,  39,  42. 
Hanchow,  51. 
Hanchow  River,  the,  81. 
Hankow,  7,  53,  54. 
Hannin,  233,  243. 

Healing  the  sick,  184-5,  '9^  193-8. 
Hedin,  Dr.  Sven,  5,  33. 
Heiku,  232. 
Honan  and  Hunan,  emigrants  from, 

320. 
Horba  States,  the,  209. 
Horse,  a  runaway,  161-2. 
Hsuching,  237. 
Huili  Chow,  293. 
Hungchio  Pass,  the,  125. 
Hunting   in  the   Wassu   Forest,    89 

seq. 
Ichang,  vi,  7,  53,  54,  56. 
Irrigation  system,  a  wonderful,  81-2. 
Jiapi,  155. 
Junks,  Chinese.  55. 


340 


Index. 


Kamsu,  46. 
Kansu,  52. 
Kao,    Colonel,    134,    [44,    146,    157, 

173,  180,  181. 
Kermer  River,  tiie  165. 
Kialing  River,  the,  52. 
Kimlung,  191. 
Kokonor,  6,  8,  16,  20,  46. 
Kokstom,  31. 
Kouerhkou,  145,  150. 
Kumbum,  monastery  of,  r. 
Kutze,  230,  231. 
Kwangyuen,  52. 
Kvvanhsien,   74,   77,  81,  82,  84,  86, 

123,  124,  126. 
Kwanyin  River,  the,  203. 
Kyang,  the,  16-18. 
Lamas,  power  of  the,  254  5. 
Lamaseries    as    seats    of    learning, 

255- 
Lanchow,  7,  51. 
Landor,  H.  Savage,  30. 
Landslide,  a,  131. 
Lang,  Andrew,  323. 
Lee  Ping,  81,  82. 
Letang,  209. 
Lhalu,  18. 

Lhasa,  6,  8,  22,  24,  40,  42,  43,  209. 
Li,  38,  45. 

Li,  the  centurion,  290. 
Lianghokon,  244. 
Lichow,  293,  332. 
Lifan,  133,  134. 
Linkon,  233. 
Linpo,  293. 
Loku,  293. 

Lolo  chief,  costume  of  a,  323-4. 
Lolo  marriage,  a,  325. 
Lolo,  origin  of  name  of,  320. 
Lolo  raids,  331-3. 
Lolo  religion,  the,  320  2. 
Lolo,  superstition  of  the,  323. 
Lolo  women,  the,  325. 
Lololand,  Brooke  enters,  299. 
Lolos,  Chinese  attempts  to  subdue 

the,  294-9. 
Lolos,  origin  of  the,  293. 
Lolos,  subjected,  289. 


Lolos,  wild  tales  of  the,  286. 

Lu  River,  the,  226,  229,  230. 

Ma,  Mr.,  126,  129,  209,  210.  211. 

NLacrhkang  Cumba,  173. 

Magehulla,  vi. 

Mami  Chiao,  170. 

Mantze,  206. 

Mantze,  origin  of  the,  247. 

Mapien  Ting,  293,  306. 

Marriage,  a  Lolo,  325. 

Mars,  phenomenon  connected   with 

the  planet,  30. 
.Matang,  84,  144,  163,  165. 
Meares,   C.   H.,  anxiety   concerning 

Brooke,  300. 
goes  on  a  hunting  expedition, 

120-4. 
goes     takin      hunting,     136, 

goes  to  Kwanhsien,  77. 

institutes   inquiries  concern- 
ing Brooke,  301. 

journey  to  the   frontier,  237, 

seq. 

leaves  Chentu  with  Brooke, 

262. 

■  meeting  of  Mr.   Brooke  and, 


seq. 


VI,  7- 


238- 


returns  to  Chentu,  334. 
shooting  rapids  in  a  coracle, 

snowblindness  of,  112. 
starts     with      Mr.     Brooke. 


54- 


Miala,  156,  160,  161.  162. 

Miao  tribes,  history  of  the,  315-9. 

Mien,  22. 

Mienshan,  293. 

Min   River,   the.  Si,  83,  90,  107,  i  10. 

'3-- 

.\Iing-chen  Tussu,  227. 

Missionary,  luxury  imputed  to  the, 
224. 

Missionary  work,  Brooke'^,  impres- 
sions of,  51. 

Mongun,  186,  233,  238,  241,  243. 

Monkey,  the  golden-haired,  124. 

.Muping,  12;. 


Index. 


Murder  of  Brooke,  survivors'  story 

of  the,  306-14. 
Mutiny,  24-5. 

Xachukha,  29,  31,  25^  39)  4°- 
Xaichi,  29,  31,  ;22i  A-- 
Xepalese  Ambassador,  the,  334-7- 
New  Year,  the  Chinese,  54,  56,  64. 
Ngaba,  125,  132,  134,  159,  163,  173. 
Xgachu  River,  the,  210,  212. 
Xglok,  125,  132. 
Xingyuenfu,     291,    293,     296,      305, 

329- 
Omei,    Mount,    phenomenon    to    be 

seen  on,  263. 
Opien  Ting,  293. 
Opium  eating,  151. 
Orange  groves,  60. 
Ovis  am  mum,  7,  47. 
Fame,  221. 
Panyang,  the.  1 13-4. 
Paomashan,  232. 
Paoning,  52,  53. 
Peishuikiang,  52. 
Pewa  Pass,  178. 
Pollard,  Rev.  S.,  326. 
Ponies,  breaking  in  the,  48-9. 
Poppies,  yellow  mountain,  139,  163. 
Porchanky,  222. 
Prayer  cylinders,  149. 
Pringliang,  v. 

Rafts  for  navigating  the  Ya,  275. 
Ranga,  125. 

Rapids,  shooting  the,  123-4. 
Rengack,  188. 
Restaurant,  a  Chinese,  50. 
Ridley,  Mr.,  i,  2,  4,  5,  6,  8,  12,  51. 
Rivers,  the  course  of  some  Tibetan, 

234-6. 
Romi  Changku,  221. 
Royal  Geographical  Society,  Brooke 

made  a  Fellow  of,  iv. 
Royal        Geographical         Society's 

Journal,  vii. 
Rudd,  Mr.,  292,  300,  331,  S},^,,  334- 
Runga,  the  Princess  of,  173. 
Runga,  178. 

Sakti,  the  goddess,  104. 
Sampo  River,  the,  v. 


Sanchiangkou,  122. 

Sechuan,  52,  133,  153,  205,  293,  315. 

Senerh,  15,  24,  25,  28,  42,  44,  49. 

Serow,  hunting  a,  94-7  116-8. 

Shanghai,  v,  7. 

Siaochin  Valley,  the,  1 54. 

Sifan,  origin  of  the,  249. 

Siho  River,  the,  8,  9,  133,  144. 

Singau,  v. 

Sining,  i,  2,  7,  12,  23,  24,  47. 

Siningfu,  v. 

Sintientze,  145, 

Siva,  the  god,  104. 

Sohchiao,  107. 

Somo,  125,  132,  154. 

Songlin  River,  the,  232. 

Songpan,  84,  86,  126. 

So  Tussu,  72,  88,  103,   121,   122,   125, 

132,  173- 
Stair,  D.,  vi. 
Strawberries,  wild,  225. 
Suchow,  49. 
Tacheinhu,  206,  212,  213,  221,  222, 

225,  226,  228,  232. 
Ta  Chin,  the,  234. 
Tachin  Ho,  165. 

Tachin  River,  the,  182,  186,  203, 
Ta-erh  Wang  Chen,  I63,  164. 
Taftel,  Dr.,  vi,  9,  10,  13. 
Taihng,  213. 
Takin,  the,  140. 
Takin,  a  pet,  119-20. 
Takin,  hunting  the,  129. 
Tankar,  6,  8,  46. 
Tangla  Pass,  the,  v,  43. 
Tapaoshan,  218. 
Tashi  Lama,  the,  5,  39. 
Tassu,  monastery  of,  i. 
Tawei,  monastery  of,  177. 
Taylor,  Rev.  H.  H.,  338. 
Tea,  buttered,  10,  148. 
Tea,  children  carrying  loads  of,  281. 
Tea,  traffic  in,  214-18. 
Tent,  a  Mongolian,  21-2. 
Tibetan  fashion  of  dressing  hair,  1 1. 
Tibetan  rivers,  the  course  of  some, 

234- 
Tongling,  88,  103. 


ln(l( 


Tsakolao,    134,    135,    136,    145,    161, 

186,  244. 
Tsamba,  10,  180. 
Tsaopo,  106,  113. 
'Tsinchow,  51. 
Tsongluca,  238,  241. 
Tunglingshan,  108. 
Tung  River,  the,  227,  230,  330. 
Uchumi,  49. 
Urgu,  V. 
Waddell,  Lieutenant-Colonel,  16,  18, 

250. 
Wang,  head  hunter,  94,  97,  98,  99, 

116,117. 
Wang,  Mr.,  134. 
Wanhsien,  53,  56. 
Wassu  Forest,  the,  72. 
Wassu,  State  of,  72. 
Wassukon,  228,  229,  230. 
Wax  insect,  the  white,  263-4. 
Weichow,  132,  133. 
Wellby,  Captain,  33. 


Wellwood,  Mr.,  292,  300,  301,  333. 

Wenchuan,  87,  88,  118,  122. 

White  Bones,  the,  324. 

Wolfendale,  Dr.,  53. 

Wolves,  surrounded  by,  ig. 

Wutun,  the,  135. 

Ya  River,  the,  275. 

Yachow,  277,  278.  279,  292. 

Yak  hunting,  31-2. 

Yaks,  bargaining  for,  12. 

Yaks,  stampede  of,  15. 

Yalung  River,  the,  227. 

Yangtze    River,    the,   7,   33,    59,   81 

293- 
Yinhsiuwan,  84,  119,  122,  124. 
Youkoh,  125. 

Younghusband,  Sir  Frank,  v. 
Yueh  Hse,  293. 
Yukoh,  188,  199,  200,  201,  205. 
Yutung,  232. 

Zechwar,  province  of,  vii. 
Zipzier,  Mount,  188. 


LONDON   : 
[ARRISON    AND   SONS,    TRINTERS   IN   ORDINARY  TO   HIS   LATE   MAJESTY, 

ST  martin's  lane. 


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